Young gymnast dreams of precision in his sport, as well as his future career in the aviation industry
South Africa currently does not have many world-class male gymnasts, but a young first-year student from Pretoria hopes to rectify this situation soon.
The one thing that is important to 18-year-old Edrich Rouwerd is precision, meaning you don’t make mistakes.
This mindset of his was proven during his achievements as a schoolboy. The former TuksSport High School student achieved six distinctions last year and boasts an overall average of 88%. He gained more than 90% in three of his subjects.
His academic success should come as no surprise. One of his big dreams is to be a top gymnast and maybe compete at the next Olympic Games in 2028.
Anyone who knows anything about sports will tell you that gymnastics is a sport of precision. Make mistakes, and you don’t win. Being good requires above-average physical strength and a strong mind.
The past two years have been difficult for Rouwerd. He has torn his knee ligament twice. This means he has spent more time with physiotherapists than in the gym. Everything in his body is working as it should now, so the young man is training hard again. The South African Championship is a big goal. As a young gymnast, he has already won several national medals.
Rouwerd’s other passion is aircrafts. This is why he will start his course in mechanical engineering at Tuks this year. He hopes to work in the aviation industry after his studies. If possible, he also wants to qualify as a pilot. The ultimate for him will be if he gets the chance to get behind the controls of a fighter jet.
Phots: Reg Caldecott
According to Rouwerd, explaining his absolute passion for aircraft is difficult.
“Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by aircrafts. The sound of aircraft engines does it for me. When I see a fighter jet in flight, I can’t help but think of gymnastics. It may be the high speed at which they fly and the movements that can be performed in flight. At such high speeds, the pilot cannot afford to make mistakes. Just as we must be careful not to make mistakes in gymnastics,” he said during a recent interview.
How hard is it to master new gymnastics moves?
“It’s not easy. You must have a strong head. Back yourself when you try to perform a move that feels half-impossible. Experience has taught me that if I don’t get to master something right away, I should walk away and take a break. If you don’t do that, you start overthinking things, and things start going wrong. Let me be honest; one of the best things about gymnastics is when you’ve mastered a new move. That moment is indescribable,” he explained.
Rouwerd also loves to read. He recently came across one of the Tarzan books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs on one of those free library shelves in a store. When asked if he thought Tarzan would be a good gymnast or that he could swing from tree ropes like Tarzan, his answer was yes.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
