George’s Marvelous Motivation!
Welcome to the memorial webpage for the extraordinary East Sheen resident and gymnastics champion, George Weedon (1920-2017).
Maybe you’ve landed here via the QR code on George's commemorative bench at Sheen Common’s new woodland playground. (Are you there right now? It’s a brilliant playground, isn’t it?) Maybe you’ve just stumbled here via Google. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re here…and ready to be motivated!
By now, you may be thinking: “Who on earth was George Weedon?” Well, George was many things to many people, including:
A three-time British Gymnastics Floor Champion
An internationally acclaimed ballroom dancer
A revered gymnastics coach and Physical Education teacher
A local handyman and builder
A kind and motivational member of our local community
A loving family man and good neighbour
Throughout his inspirational 96-year life, George constantly challenged himself and encouraged others to do great things.
And it all started with gymnastics.
George took up gymnastics as an East Sheen schoolboy in the 1930s and became one of the sport's innovators. An incredible character, he never let adversity get in his way. Despite breaking a vertebra in 1939 AND losing a kidney in 1942, George was determined to succeed at the sport he loved. Never mind that there were no suitable local training facilities (remember, this was a time long before PureGym!). George simply built his own, including a ‘high bar’ made from an iron curtain rail wedged between his garden wall and a tree!
SPLITS, SHORTS AND SHOCKS…
Despite all the setbacks, George’s perseverance paid off. In 1946 he was crowned British Gymnastics Men’s Floor Champion for a groundbreaking routine that introduced the splits into men's gymnastics for the very first time. Back then, the sight of George doing the splits caused quite the stir. Nowadays, thanks to him, its a compulsory element in the men’s floor routine!
And the shocks didn’t stop there. At the same Championships, George controversially wore shorts (rather than regulation leotards) because he "felt more comfortable". The organisers wanted to disqualify him but failed. Instead, a new champion (and gym kit) was born.
A THREE-TIME BRITISH FLOOR CHAMPION
British Floor Champion again in 1947 and 1948, George represented Great Britain at both the 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, too.
He also coached his (then) girlfriend, Joan Airey, to joint second place (these days she would have been presented a silver medal) in the vault at the 1948 Olympics.
Married shortly afterwards, George and Joan moved to Richmond’s Rothesay Avenue, where they raised a family and lived out the rest of their lives together.
(A popular builder and handyman, George's age-defying acrobatic abilities saw him scaling Rothesay’s rooftops and treetops for work well into his 70s.)
GYMNASTICS FOR ALL
George's love for gymnastics never died. Over the intervening decades, he coached local youth gymnastics at Richmond Gymnastics Association, Grey Court School, Teddington School and his own children’s primary school, Sheen Mount. Plus, he was Physical Education teacher at John Lyon and Quainton Hall schools (where he coached the national Under-11s gymnastic school champions too).
ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
George was never happier than when he had a goal to aim for. And he wasn’t scared of setting his sights high, no matter his age. By the 1960s, George’s days of international gymnastics were over.
Undaunted, he found a new challenge: ballroom dancing. But being George, simply learning to ballroom dance (and to teach it!) wasn’t enough. A man of great determination, he went on to excel in multiple competitions, including the World Championships in Japan. Strictly Come Dancing would have loved him.
WALK TALL
In 2011, at 91 years of age, George starred in the internationally-acclaimed short film ‘Walk Tall’ by Kate Sullivan. An animated / live-action documentary of George’s life story and quest to promote good posture, you can view it here.
Next…
George then helped to promote the 2012 London Olympic Games and carried the Olympic torch for part of its journey. Meanwhile, his local Olympian legacy includes Sheen Mount Primary’s current playground, created thanks to the record-breaking, Olympic-themed fundraiser that he headlined. (It wasn’t the first time George had helped Sheen Mount. He built the school swimming pool’s original changing rooms back in 1965!)
George is survived by three sons and a daughter and lived to see ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Today, George’s family and friends are delighted that - thanks to help from Friends of Sheen Common and Richmond Council - his memorial bench now sits in Sheen Common's new woodland playground. We’re sure you’ll agree it’s the perfect spot for our community's youngsters to follow George's advice: "Challenge Yourself"...
GEORGE’S TOP CHAMPION TIPS:
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1. Set yourself a target and work towards it every day.
These daily challenges will help you reach your goal eventually.
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2. Listen carefully to your coach
and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
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3. Good posture and healthy breathing go hand in hand, so stand up straight!
(Even at 96 years of age, George stood straight as a ramrod!)
