Gymnastics is a sport which requires dedication and commitment. There are times when things can go horribly wrong, but for some people, gymnastics is just too good to let go.
'I don't know where I'd be without gym', Anya said to me as I interviewed her. Anya has participated at gymnastics from a very young age, and has developed a strong passion for the sport. She trains at the Greenwich Royals Gymnastic Club and regularly participates in competitions where she often wins medals. But it hasn't all been smooth sailing for Anya.
When doing her floor routine for a recent competition, Anya unfortunately broke her ankle while landing a flip. Being the determined sportsperson that she is, she carried on and finished the routine, even though she was in excruciating pain.
She later went to hospital, and when she discovered she had broken her ankle, she was distraught. This one moment meant that she could not participate in gymnastics for another 4 months and would have to miss many competitions in this time.
‘I was so upset, gym is so important to me and to have to stop for 4 months was extremely hard’. Sitting on the side-lines for this duration of time meant she lost a lot of muscle and would have to work doubly hard to build it back up and catch up with the others. But she never lost hope that one day she would return to the floor and flip her way back to victory.
‘As soon as my cast was off, I was ready to work as hard as I could to get back in shape’, which is exactly what Anya did. She trained extra hard and for extended periods of time in order to catch up with her team, and eventually she entered a competition and came first! This is a commendable achievement for someone who had recently been almost immobile for a few months, and to win a medal in such a short space of time is a great achievement. Now, Anya is focused on developing her skills and enabling herself to become an all-round gymnast.
Thendrral Prabhakar, Newstead Wood School
