WORLD champion gymnast Beth Tweddle is bending over backwards to support the North West Air Ambulance.
The 24-year-old, who came third in BBC Sports Personality of the Year, has agreed to become a patron of the charity which receives no Government funding.
Beth, from Bunbury, said “I’ve heard a lot about the North West Air Ambulance, and they do some amazing work saving lives on a daily basis. I’m very proud to be asked to a patron and I will do my best to tell everyone about the charity wherever I’m competing.”
The air ambulance relies almost entirely on donations from the general public to fund the £3.9 m annual cost of running two helicopters.
The service operates seven days a week, 365 days a year across Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cumbria.
Charity chief executive Lynda Brislin said: “We are just thrilled that someone of Beth Tweddle’s standing and character has agreed to be one of our patrons.
“Her dedication and professionalism were a major factor in the charity approaching Beth, and we really appreciate her support when she has so many other commitments, and the fact she spends so many hours training.”
Beth is the country’s most successful gymnast ever.
She has been European and World Champion on her best event, the asymmetric bars, and won the 2009 Floor World Championships in front of home crowd at the 02 Arena in London.
Beth was an Olympian in 2004 and 2008. She graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in June 2007 with a 2:1 in Sports Science and is currently working with her company Total Gymnastics where she is setting up gymnastic academies around Liverpool.
