Gymnast earns trip to Disneyland meet
Chloe Hannam’s gymnastics feats have earned her a trip to Disneyland.
The 15-year-old Kawartha Gymnastics competitor was named to Team Ontario after placing in the top eight in Level 7 at the Tour Selection Meet in Belleville from Nov. 10 to 12. The team will travel to Anaheim, Calif. for the California Grand Invitational Meet from Jan. 12 to 14.
Competing against 60 athletes in her level, Hannam placed fourth overall. The Tour Selection Meet is held annually and is open to all athletes aged 14 and over. Hannam is the fourth Kawartha Gymnastics athlete to qualify for the team since 2012. Last year Katie Berry went to Las Vegas and in 2014 her sister Morgan Berry also went to Las Vegas. Cassidy Connelly went to Cancun, Mexico in 2012.
Hannam missed out in two previous attempts to make the team and went back this year determined to do better.
“I was really hoping I’d make it because I’ve been trying for a few years now,” Hannam said. “Every year I made a few mistakes that set me back. This year I was really trying to limit those mistakes and do the best I could.”
It was an exciting moment when she learned her final results.
“It’s a really big honour and accomplishment,” she said. “A few
people from our club have made it and I’ve always looked up to them. When I made it, it made me feel really good.”
Kawartha Gymnastics head coach Becky Ansell said Hannam has worked hard to improve.
“She’s upgraded some of her skills and added more difficulty to give her the max score she could get,” said Ansell, who will accompany Hannam to Anaheim. “She stayed on beam and bars and stuck her landing and that all adds up.”
In addition to the competition, her team will get to do some fun activities, such as visiting Disneyland.
“Everyone who I have known who has gone, I know some girls from other clubs who have gone, they all seemed to have a lot of fun with their teammates and made new friends,” she said.
Ansell says she’s deserving of the opportunity.
“She works incredibly hard and always wants to know what she can do to make herself better. Bars would be her strongest event. Usually every year when she’s gone to championships she’s either won bars or been top three,” Ansell said. “She’s really worked hard on all four events and becoming a more solid gymnast on all the events.”
Hannam, a Grade 10 student at Adam Scott Collegiate, joined Kawartha Gymnastics 10 years ago.
“It’s been a really big part of my life since I was little,” she said. “It helps me with a lot of things. I have a lot of fun at the club with my team and doing gymnastics. Sometimes when I’m having a bad day I’ll come to the gym and do my bar routine and it just makes me feel better because I get to focus on something different and put all my focus into something.”
She says the time management skills she’s learned balancing 16 hours a week of training with her school work will benefit her throughout her life.
She’s already started the path to get her coaching certification.
“She’s definitely a role model in the gym,” Ansell said. “She takes on that leadership role. She’s a great kid.”
Hannam said she’s seen the impact coaches can have on athletes.
“This club is really special to me so if I can help that would be good,” she said.
Every year I made a few mistakes that set me back. This year I was really trying to limit those mistakes and do the best I could.” Chloe Hannam