TWINKLE-TOED DUO REALLY ON A ROLL AND SPIN
ONE only took up gymnastics two years ago.
The other is tipped for a shot at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Together Sunny Bower and Mia Narata are illustrating the copious benefits of their sport, a fact underlined by storming success at the Queensland Junior Challenge earlier last week.
The pair, members of Gold Coast’s Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, have set their sights on the packed schedule following the medal-laden run at the Burleigh Waters competition. ■ “You can’t give up because it takes a lot of dedication.”
■ “Believe in yourself. If you have a goal know that you can achieve that goal.”
Against about 140 rivals aged 4-14, Bower won gold in the Level 8 division and Narata snared silver in Level 7.
Narata’s rise is remarkable given she only adopted the sport two years ago, since then racing through the levels to impress Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics Club head coach Akoulina Ktoiants.
“It’s quite incredible how far she has come,” she said. ■ “Experience as much as possible. It’s good to look beyond your own gym and see what others are doing. That’s the only way you can grow.”
“To be up to the level she is shows how talented she is as well as a hard worker.”
Further education awaits Bower, however, with a trip to Beijing to train under the tutelage of Russia’s Olympic gold medallist Margarita Mamun starting today.
She will return for the Queensland State Titles at Carrara from August 11-13 and then the NSW State Titles that follows. “Both girls are quite talented but they need to continue with the sport,” said coach Ktoiants, who dubbed Bower a Commonwealth Games contender for 2022.
“If you stop then it’s that much harder to reach where you want to go.
“The more competitions they do the better because it gets their confidence up.”
The pair currently train about 15 hours per week under a program aimed at maximising efficiency.
“We try and use our time wisely,” Ktoiants said.
“It’s not as much as other gyms (but) as they get older they will start to do more.”