Welcome Rebecca Maw-Dzatkowski

Cross Campus Head Gymnastics Coach

Welcome to our new Head of Gymnastics, Rebecca Maw-Dzatkowski. Rebecca grew up in Yorkshire, where she spent time on the ocean and in farm country, home of the well-known Driffield Show, a huge agricultural show in Yorkshire.

“I used to work at the British School in the Netherlands, where Helen Thew used to work, and I had a lot of colleagues who had worked at Bangkok Patana and spoke so highly of it. I remember, in my first year of teaching internationally, I told my boss I was going to work at Bangkok Patana some day. As a PE teacher, the commitment to sport at this school was a huge draw. You don’t get gymnastics-specific facilities at most schools. Also, the school felt very well-rounded in addition to the great sports facilities. After living in the Netherlands and Switzerland, I really wanted a cultural change, and Bangkok Patana was at the top of the list for schools, so I knew it was now or never to make the move.”

“I am so impressed with the students, we have very dedicated kids who turn up even online with CSL. Even though we are distant, their passion for gymnastics really shines through. The Gymnastics facilities here are incredible, very few schools have purpose-built gymnastics facilities. It is so good for the children to have these facilities; the school recognises the benefits of sport and of gymnastics in particular. The new Little Paws gym in Foundation Stage is really a nice area for the early learners. We have been brainstorming about it, there is so much potential there. I am excited to see where the gym for early years children will go.”

“My philosophy is that gymnastics is so more than just the sport, it is a community. I feel building a community among the athletes is just as important is it is with the parents. I hold virtual coffee and yoga mornings with my parents, I have lunchtime sessions with the kids that is not just training but also community building activities. I like to give them mentorship roles when we go on trips and within the Academy. In my last place we had staggered groups and the mentors would help the younger children get ready, unpack that kind of thing; it gave the older kids student leadership experience. It was great to see the older athletes work with the little ones, the Seniors would help the younger ones when they competed and encouraged them to overcome adversity. To me, gymnastics is so much more than just the sport. However, it is a sport where you literally fall on your face before you succeed and that is such an important thing to learn in life.”

“I love playing sport, I like running and tennis, I enjoy yoga and dance. I still try to do some gymnastics in the gym but it’s difficult as you get older. I love skiing but now I am here that won’t be so easy! I love hiking outdoors and am looking forward to exploring Thailand’s beautiful nature.”

“Something many people don’t know is that when I was younger, I had the opportunity to perform for HM Queen Elizabeth when she came to the Beverly Racecourse.”