"The tragedy of Barcelona is that it lacks sports facilities, but it still has very good people."

BarcelonaThe Gràcia Gimnàstic Club has been a leading name in Barcelona and Catalan gymnastics for almost 15 years. The club has a waiting list of young people eager to join and practice this growing sport. "The Simone Biles effect was definitely felt," jokes the president, Olga Lamas. More than 450 athletes compete in a club that dedicates significant effort to social projects with the elderly and young people with autism, while also nurturing some of its promising young athletes, selected for the High-Performance Center in Sant Cugat. But the club has a problem: it's lost its home. Founded by former gymnast Maria José Guirao, the Gràcia Gimnàstic Club "secured a fantastic space, a pavilion belonging to the La Salut Tennis Club." "This club wasn't using the facility at all; it was just sitting there, practically unused, and they decided it would be a good idea for our club to move in. We started with about 60 gymnasts and kept growing until we reached the 450 we have now, of all ages. But a while ago, CT La Salut notified us that they had a request from their members to reclaim the space and build indoor padel courts. And we couldn't do anything; it's their space. We looked all over Gràcia because that's where our members are, but there was nothing. And we started looking all over Barcelona, ​​without any luck," says Lamas.

Despite the initial tension, the members of the gymnastics club quickly understood that they couldn't "do anything to stay inside the CT La Salut." "It was their right to decide what they wanted to do in the pavilion. It hurt us because it was a great space and located in the Gràcia neighborhood, where a large part of the club's membership is based. We had to keep them," explains Lamas.

The club was up against the ropes. A new home had to be found. "There has been suffering and tears, but within this difficult situation, beautiful things have begun to happen. The great tragedy of Barcelona is that we don't have sports facilities, but there are still very good people. Other clubs outside of Barcelona have offered their space if they can help, the gymnastics federation, and the General Secretariat of Sports have followed the case, and we have received support from day one; they started working to help us," says Lamas. "We found a stable space," says the president.

In Barcelona, ​​many sports complain about the lack of spaces to practice their disciplines. Basically, there's no space. "And in the case of artistic gymnastics, it's especially serious because we need a large, open space with specific characteristics. We need a ceiling of more than 10 meters for vaults and rings, and spaces designated for equipment like the vaulting horse. It's not like other sports where you can change the volleyball net in a few minutes. It's been very moving to see how there are still people in the city who help selflessly. They've opened their doors. Furthermore, the City Council will soon inaugurate a new municipal pavilion in Espronceda, where we can also have a space until we have a permanent location," he explains.

The City Council and the club have reached an agreement to rent a space from a private individual in the Drassanes area, which, once renovations are completed, can be adapted for practicing the sport and rented out for the coming years. "It's the light at the end of the tunnel. It's not in the neighborhood where we are now, but it's a solution and a new way to start," says Lamas. If all goes well, they hope to have a new home ready after Easter. There's still work to be done, but Gràcia Gimnàstic Club is confident it can continue to grow after a few months in which it lost some staff and coaches. A story that seemed destined to bring the efforts of many families to an end now appears to be headed for a happy ending, for once.