At 11 years old, Chartwell gymnast Gianna Menikou is already making her mark in the gymnastics world, combining dedication, resilience, and a passion for the sport as she prepares for the upcoming districts competition.

Gianna recently claimed overall first place in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics level 5 (11 years) category at the Junxion Invitational competition on July 25. Her impressive performance included gold medals on the bars and beam, a silver medal on vault, and a bronze medal for her floor routine.

Gianna said her love for gymnastics began long before she stepped into a gym. “At school, I was always on the monkey bars, trying to swing, climb, and do tricks. My parents could see how much I loved being active, so they thought gymnastics would be the perfect sport for me and a great way to use up all my energy.”

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During the Covid-19 lockdown, she spent hours watching gymnastics videos online. She even taught herself how to do the splits before joining Junxion Gymnastics at the age of six.

Today, her favourite events are the bars and beam, where she enjoys mastering difficult skills. “It’s not easy, but it feels good when I get the difficult moves right. I also really love my floor routine because I get to do both tumbling and dance, which makes it fun.”

Winning her category at the Junxion Invitational was a memorable achievement. “It felt amazing, and I was very happy. We all worked very hard, and everyone did well. It doesn’t always matter if you come first or not, as long as you do your best and make your coaches proud.”

One of Gianna’s proudest achievements to date was competing at the South African National Gymnastics Championships last year, where she finished in the top 10 on vault. Gianna is now focused on the districts competition on August 14 and 15, where she hopes to continue her strong form.

Looking further ahead, Gianna dreams of competing at higher levels, excelling at national competitions, and, one day, representing South Africa internationally. She also hopes to become a gymnastics coach in the future.

Also read: Local gymnast celebrates top honour

Her mother, Jani Menikou, said watching Gianna’s journey has been inspiring. “Her positive attitude, dedication, and discipline are so inspirational. Watching her chase her dreams is what makes me proud. She is a very determined little girl and gymnastics has taught her such good habits and life lessons.”

Menikou added that Gianna’s resilience stands out, both in sport and in everyday life. “The fact that she can motivate and pick herself up after a tough competition or training is remarkable. She is tenacious and doesn’t give up, and she does it with a smile – not just at gymnastics, but in all areas of her life. At home, we always say that she is the poster child of ‘Dynamite comes in small packages’.”

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