You wait 120 years for an Olympic gymnastics gold medal to come along, and then two arrive in the space of 90 minutes!

I’m sure that I wasn’t alone in cheering with delight when Essex’s Max Whitlock took two brilliant gold medals.

These were the first gymnastics golds in British Olympic history, of course.

So it was one of those lovely moments when Twitter explodes into joy.

Messages of congratulation were flying in from all over the world.

What really cheered me though, was the huge number of Essex people who couldn’t contain their delight and just had to share it with the internet!

We should celebrate Max not only because he is based in Basildon, but also because his skills have been carefully developed and encouraged there.

Along with his fellow Olympian Brinn Bevan from Thundersley, Max’s talents have been nurtured and honed over years at the South Essex Gymnastics Club.

So though the final achievement is Max’s, of course, there are many people in Essex who have directly contributed to his success – and many more who will be inspired by it.

It’s a reminder of the great things we can achieve when we look for the gifts and talents in others, work together to support one another, and show commitment and determination.

So thanks for giving us yet another reason to love Essex Max and well done!