TEAMS from Bradford Synchronised Skating Academy (BSSA) have begun the season on a high by gaining a gold, silver and bronze at Skate London, which took place at Alexandra Palace on Monday, November 11.

It capped off a wonderful few days for the academy, who won the Team of the Year category in the Women in Sport North Awards last Friday at the University of Huddersfield.

The buzz from that success clearly carried on into the London competition for the Bradford skaters, as beginners team Pearl gained gold for their High School Musical inspired routine.

They were one of the three BSSA competitive teams in attendance and the trio of podium finishes meant that it was the first time in the club’s history that all teams have come away with a medal from the same event.

Intermediate team Malachite secured silver with an energetic routine in red dresses to match their Fireball theme, while adult group Amethyst were awarded a bronze medal for their performance, which saw them skating to a medley of hits from Dirty Dancing.

Coach, Adrian Jack, said: “The results from Skate London are absolutely fantastic.

“All the teams have worked exceptionally hard pre-season to develop their skills and routines and it has paid off with the academy having one of its most successful competitions.

“The focus is now very much on developing the routines for the British (Synchronised Skating Championships) which takes place in Nottingham in January.”

The medal haul follows the news of the Team of the Year success the previous Friday.

There were several powerful speeches at the Huddersfield event, including one from a young female cricketer who talked about how cricket saved her after she became suicidal and suffered from an eating disorder.

Meanwhile, the awards' founder, Kate Hardcastle MBE, who has three children, including two young daughters, said: “This is all about connections, we need to stick together to grow. I am passionate about building a future for my children.”

It was a successful event for Bradford, with the Queensbury Queens cycling club winning the Community Team of the Year Award to add to BSSA's success.

The skating academy, which was established in 2014, currently comprises four competitive teams and one non-competitive team and is headed up by coaches Adrian Jack, Jennie Hughes and Bryony Corrigan.

The academy are currently looking to recruit new members of all ages, in particular for the beginners team.

The club welcome new members of all ages who own their own skates and are Skate UK Level 8 and above. For more information, email bssacademy@hotmail.com