Young Knysna gymnast secures national vault gold in Pretoria
An 11-year-old gymnast says that although she has competed in nationals before, her latest achievement felt ‘very special’.
Young Euphre’za Witbooi (11) flew the Knysna’s flag high in Pretoria when she recently claimed gold in the Vault Level 6 Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (Wag) U12 category at the national gymnastics championships, reports Knysna-Plett Herald.
The victory was especially significant for Euphre’za, as it was her second national gold medal in the past two years.
“Even though I’ve been to nationals before, it still felt very special, with lots of excitement and nerves,” she said of competing against some of the country’s top young gymnasts.
The road to the national championships was not without its challenges.
Euphre’za said she had to compete in a new leotard in Pretoria and initially struggled to get used to it during the competition. But she kept her focus and produced when it mattered.
Speed, strength and precision
Euphre’za says her recipe for success in this discipline is keeping her arms and legs straight and maintaining the correct body position throughout the move.
“The vault is built around speed, strength, body control and precision, which means a fast approach is very important. To make a good landing, I also need to get the height, because if you move one foot, they take points off. For further strength and control in the air, I normally do a lot of handstands,” she said.
One of the biggest technical mistakes she works hard to avoid is bending her arms during the vault.
To work on her speed and fitness, Euphre’za even trains on the Knysna parkrun route with her father and uncle.
Setting the bar even higher
Euphre’za is not a one-event gymnast, either. She also competes in floor, uneven bars and beam at level 6 Wag, and floor is currently her strongest event.
She has also made significant progress on the uneven bars, identifying it as the area in which she has improved the most since her first competition of the year.
Her 2026 season has already given her plenty to celebrate, but Euphre’za is setting the bar even higher. Her goal for next season is simple: working harder and winning gold across all her events.
She also has her sights set on increasingly difficult vault skills. Learning a twist and eventually a double pike is among her ambitions.
With two national gold medals already under her belt, Euphre’za is hungry for more success and ready to take her gymnastics to the next level.
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