WATCH: Back to back tumbles at Blairgowrie gymnastics
BLAIRGOWRIE – Young girls train hard, even in the holidays to one day reach Olympic level.
Little girls can now build core strength and prepare themselves to participate in any sport they might be interested in. They can improve low muscle tone which can help them perform better at sport and thereby boost self-confidence.
Hana Drewe, originally from the Czech Republic has coached gymnastics for about 20 years. Drewe said that she came to South Africa in 1994 and coached in East London, New Castle and Durban before opening Park Lane Gymnastics at the Blairgowrie Recreation Centre in 2006.
Drewe explained the benefits of gymnastics. “I once coached a very shy girl who was sent to me by a doctor. If you talked to her, she wouldn’t even look up. Gymnastics helped to build up her self-confidence,” said Drewe. She added that children who do gymnastics normally do very well in school as gymnastics teaches discipline. “It also helps children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),” added Drewe.
Drewe explained the many levels of gymnastics. Level one to seven indicates the development of the gymnast, but then one also gets the class levels, which is when a child does very well. Nicole Henson (13) is currently a level seven gymnast and represents her country on a national level.
“I started when I was four. Gymnastics has taught me to prosper in life,” said Henson.
The youngest gymnast, Jordan Prinsloo (6) is competing at level one. This is her first year competing. “I like doing floor the most and started with gymnastics, because I saw it on TV,” said Prinsloo. Paige Steenkamp (7) is a class-one high-performance gymnast. “When I was little I peeked over a gate while people did gymnastics. It looked fun so my mother took me to gymnastics classes when I was four,” said Steenkamp.
“You have to dedicate yourself to this sport. You can’t practise twice a week and become a competitive gymnast. Some of the children practise up to nine hours a week,” concluded Drewe.
Details: Park Lane Gymnastics, 083 581 0294.
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