Florida Hills gymnast to perform Olympic routine
On Sunday, 2 August, Caitlin Rooskrantz was due to take to the bars as the first artistic gymnast to represent South Africa at the Olympics in 15 years.
For every athlete who qualified to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games, 23 July would have been the day their dreams of bringing back a medal for their country was to be realised.
Instead, the Games as well as most of our plans for 2020 have been disrupted and postponed.
On Sunday, 2 August, Caitlin Rooskrantz was due to take to the bars as the first artistic gymnast to represent South Africa at the Olympics in 15 years. So in honour of the years of hard work and preparation that have gone into getting Olympic-ready, and in pursuit of some good news and real heroes we can all get behind, Sanlam will be live-streaming Caitlin’s routine from her training facilities in Johannesburg on the exact day she would have performed in Tokyo.
“Of course, this was not Caitlin’s plan, but now is the time to be making some new plans. That’s exactly what we do at Sanlam every day by helping people to reach their goals, despite the setbacks and unseen disruptions. Which is why we’re only too happy to be supporting Caitlin in still reaching her goals – albeit in a different way. She is an inspiring example for us all of someone who has not let challenges get the better of her, but instead let them make her even better,” said Sanlam’s Chief Executive for the Brand, Sydney Mbhele.
Indeed, every achievement in Caitlin’s life can be tracked back to her always staying flexible and nimble – not just on the gymnastics bars, but regarding her dreams and goals too. Having endured her fair share of changed plans and setbacks, Caitlin first set her sights on competing in the Olympics when she was just 11 years old. But, she had to endure a few setbacks before getting there.
Multiple injuries followed, resulting in her not being able to compete for almost three consecutive years. Despite these challenges, Caitlin has come back again and again to show herself and the world what she’s made of.
“I don’t think I’ve given up on anything in my life. I’ve always tried to find another way through,” Caitlin said.
Reflecting on her most recent change of plans (the Olympic Games being postponed), 18-year-old Caitlin is as inspirational as she is tenacious, and she said, “I told my coach that the dream hasn’t changed, only the timeline has shifted”.
With her sights set on making her routine even better for the Games that will now be held in 2021, Sanlam’s offer to live-stream her routine on the day she would have performed it this year is all the extra motivation she needed, and Caitlin said, “After months of intense training in preparation of the Olympics, still having the opportunity to perform my routine for South Africa in this way is incredibly exciting”.
Although certainly not the Olympics, this is a unique opportunity for all South Africans to get behind a truly inspirational athlete and celebrate our collective ability always to find the silver linings, even when our dreams are interrupted and our plans are changed. So let’s get behind our girl in green and gold, and let’s cheer her on as she somersaults and flick-flacks over each and every setback.
Caitlin’s performance will be live-streamed on Sunday, 2 August at 10am at www.nowisthetimetoplan.co.za.
