Our coaches are qualified and/or working towards further qualifications under the British Gymnastics training programme. Our more senior coaches are tutors and examiners for British Gymnastics and have contributed to the writing of specific coaching manuals.

Those behind the Prime philosophy…

The Founders:

John (Clem) Malcolmson

Technical Director

Master Coach of Great Britain  

Clem has lived and worked in the area since 1970 and had a lifetime of involvement in acrobatic activity across all levels. Clem first became a physical education teacher at Connaught School teaching for over 14 years forming the very first Camberley Gymnastics Club. He was then one of the original founders and Coaching Director of Woking Gymnastics Club where he went on to coach at the highest level, producing many British Artistic Gymnastics champions who competed at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games and the European and World Championships. On numerous occasions Clem was also the National Coach of the team at these events. These achievements within the sport lead him to be named a Master Coach of Great Britain, a prestigious recognition of only a handful of coaches throughout the country.

During this time in the industry Clem devised Kindergym the award winning gymnastics pre-school programme as seen on BBC Playdays and now widely used throughout centres in the UK. Clem has also previously been the founder of a number of children’s day nurseries and was the Technical Director of Pinewood Gymnastics Club in Crowthorne before co-founding Pen-Y-bont Gymnastics Club based in Wales.

Chris Bowler

 Coaching Director

High Performance Gymnastics Coach

Chris started his gymnastics career at the tender age of 4 and went on to compete at a national and international level across many disciplines, representing Great Britain on a number of occasions. He started coaching at 14 and continued to develop his skills throughout his school years and gymnastics career. Chris later went on to study Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth where his main focus was on talent identification, leading him to write studies in motor skill development in children. During his time at university he became a conductor within the International Society for Advancements in Anthropometry.

Chris has formerly coached and headed up gymnastics programmes at many successful clubs throughout the South and South East of England. He then become the Director of Coaching at Pinewood Gymnastics Club, where he helped lead the coaching team to produce several, regional, British and European Champions across a number of gymnastics disciplines. Following these achievements in a club setting it led him to become the the Head Acrobatics Coach for Cirque du Soleil’s touring show “Totem”. His main purpose was to manage the shows cast to ensure the quality of daily acrobatic performances across all acts and acrobatic tableaux. He was then part of the acrobatic creative team that developed the company’s newest live entertainment experience ”Toruk The First Flight.” A show in collaboration with James Cameron and his world renowned film Aviator that opened November 2015. More recently Chris returned to Europe to work in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall and to help assist in the development of the show Amaluna. After a very successful and memorable 4 years on the road Chris is extremely excited to remain within UK to build a centre of his own.

Erica Malcolmson

Pre-school, Additional Needs & Well-being Coordinator

Having trained in all forms of dance Erica trained as a gymnastics coach in 1992 at Woking Gymnastics Club, specialising in pre-school and special needs gymnastics and later became a tutor and examiner for British Gymnastics in coach education. With Clem she helped set up and build two other centres in England and Wales before returning to Woking to start Prime Acrobatics.

In 2002 she took a Diploma course in Pilates and now teaches all levels, specialising in Pilates for clients following breast cancer surgery and Osteoporosis.

Alan Bowler 

Lead Foreman & Properties Manager