Bay gymnast aims high at world champs
TALENTED Port Elizabeth gymnast Bianca Zoonekynd has set her sights on gold when she competes in the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on February 12.
Zoonekynd, 25, is among the three athletes who have qualified to represent South Africa at the World Championships.
She has intensified her training over the past three weeks and is looking to use the World Championships as preparation for the World Games to follow in July.
Zoonekynd has been mentored and coached by her mother, Mandy, at their gym in Theescombe.
“I am really working hard for that gold medal. I am always pushing myself to the limits because I want to be the best in the world,” she said.
She will be doing three disciplines at the World Championships and hopes to break her own world record in the trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline.
She also holds the world record for the highest difficulty rating in one routine.
Zoonekynd said the hard work and time she had invested in training had paid off.
“I sometimes look at the routines done by boys and think, it cannot be that difficult, and I practise really hard to get it right. I am doing bigger things than some of the girls I compete with,” she said.
She experienced a family hardship when their home was gutted recently due to an electrical fault, and she lost all her medals and trophies.
“This was a tough time for me as I lost a bit of focus. My family and I lost everything – my kit, my training shoes and all my trophies, medals and certificates were destroyed in the fire.”
Mother and coach Mandy Zoonekynd said: “It is vital for her to keep focused and motivated for the prize. Challenges will always be there, she just needs to have the right attitude.”
In addition to being a gymnast, Zoonekynd has a class of children from nine to 13 she coaches on a weekly basis. Two of the children have been selected to participate in the South African Championships in June.
She will leave for Azerbaijan next week for a fiveday training camp ahead of the championships.