Acrobatics gymnastics over the years...

Edward started his gymnastics career at the local leisure centre in Egham where he took part in pre-school gymnastic and trampoline classes.

Edward soon joined the Spelthorne gymnastics club based in Ashford Middlesex He became the top quarter of a men's (or should we say boy's) four and achieved third place at the Intermediate British Championships.

Soon Edward combined with another aspiring gymnast, Adam McAssey, and moved down from the top of a men's four onto the top of a men's pair where he was coached by Vladimir Makartchenko. Adam and Edward worked hard and were selected to represent Great Britain at the 2003 European Championships in Zielona Gora, Poland this time in the junior category.

Edward and Adam had a successful career as a junior men's pair including British champions and tournament champions of 2003, and silver medalists at the 2004 World age group championships Liévin, France.

In the summer of 2004, Edward's current coach, Vladimir, left Spelthorne gym club and was replaced by Neil Griffiths, former mixed pair world champion. Edward now started a new partnership with Reece Durbidge and by the beginning of 2005, within the first 3 months of their partnership, they had won a silver medal at the International tournament in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, and had also been crowned the 2005 British champions. Reece and Edward competed all over Europe including the Volkov cup in Russia, the Baltic open in Lithuania, and trials for the European championships at Lilleshall NSC. There was just one problem :- 'mass and maturity!' Edward was several inches shorter that Reece and his baby face made him look too young, in Sports Acrobatics the judges can make a deduction for this, and it was the threat of this deduction which prevented the boys from being selected for the 2005 European Championships in Greece.

Not to be deterred, Edward and Reece prepared themselves for 2006 by moving up to the senior category. They were selected to represent GB at the world championships and won the balance exercise, but finished the competition in 5th place after all 3 routines. Edward was aged just 14, and was youngest competitor of the senior competition!

As Reece and Edward prepared for the British championships of 2007 disaster struck, the pair had to withdraw from the competition because Reece had broken his jaw in a club fight just days before the competition. Reece unfortunately decided to finish his gymnastics career, and Edward missed out on the 2007 British championships and world cup final in Belgium.

After 9 months with no base, Edward found a new partner - Mark Fyson who already had senior men's pair experience. Edward and Mark's moves began to work almost instantly and they were ready to compete a senior level balance routine at the British tournament after just 5 training sessions. They competed throughout 2008, gaining the British title and also competing at the 2008 World championships in Glasgow where, after working together for only 10 months they won the bronze medal, an excellent result!!!

Mark decided to retire from the sport for personal reasons but after a few months Edward teamed up with Doug Fordyce who had been training at Kind Edmund gym club as an age-group mixed pair. At the start of their partnership things did not run smoothly but by May 2009, after many stressful training sessions, Doug and Edward found themselves with 3 gold medals including the British title. Things were starting to work out...

After working together for again just 10 months, Doug and Edward had achieved the un-expected by winning a bronze medal at the world games in Taiwan, and a silver medal at the senior European championships in Portugal, competing against other senior men's pair partnerships that have been in place for many years. Edward is now well known for winning medals with different bases in such short spaces of time!

In 2010, As well as keeping hold of the British title, Doug and Edward manage to take world domination and are now the senior acrobatic men's pair World Champions!

Edward Upcott - member of Britain's Got Talent's Spelbound