Two local girls will be the first from Ashlin Gymnastics to take part in the Alberta Winter Games.
Jordyn Skarsen, 11, and Rihanna Poltorak, 11, are level six gymnasts, and in February they will be taking their skill to a whole new level.
After trying out for the Alberta Winter Games in Tawatinaw on Dec. 10, they were stunned to hear they had been selected for the team representing northeastern Alberta.
“I didn't know that they meant me. I thought they meant someone else,” Skarsen exclaimed.
The girls spent weeks training on bars, floor, vault, and beam in preparation for the big day. Now that they've made the team, their training means preparing them for the big leagues.
They spend anywhere from 14 to 16 hours per week training for the games. But lucky for them, there is more to the sport than just talent.
Both of the young athletes radiate enthusiasm for gymnastics, with each struggling to find the words when explaining what makes them love the sport so much.
“I really like all aspects of it,” Poltorak said, adding her favourite event is the bars.
For Skarsen, taking to the floor means she has a chance to show off her artistic side, while throwing in some moves that will turn her world upside down.
“I really like being upside down,” she laughed.
Both have been taking part in the sport for over six years. Poltrak signed up because her sister tried out and it looked like fun.
Skarsen had just always wanted to give it a try.
Getting their skills up to level six was no easy task, and Ashlin Gymnastics head coach Davin Bettenson was not going to let the girls get to the podium without a little determination.
“It's a huge accomplishment. They haven't really had things to motivate and stimulate their desire to win and achieve. It's a lot for them. When we first had the idea of doing it, we told them the minimal requirements to make it. It has caused them to work a little bit harder,” Bettenson expressed.
Although one Bonnyville gymnast was guaranteed a spot on the team, the girls still had to compete against each other.
By giving it their all, Skarsen and Poltorak have landed themselves on the dream team, which is made up of gymnasts from Cold Lake, Lloydminster, Wainwright, and Bonnyville. These areas make-up zone seven.
“I feel like I have achieved something,” Skarsen said.
In total, the local gym had six attend tryouts, but one of their star athletes was out due to an injury. Bettensen said all of the girls deserve a honourable mention for the hard work they put into preparing for tryouts.
The girls had to meet level six requirements, which includes round out back-hand springs, front tucks and/or back tucks, a flip off of the bar, and a back-hand walkover on the beam.
“They have to do it all by themselves. They can't be touched or helped,” Bettenson explained.
Now, as they gear-up for the games in Fort McMurray on Feb. 16, 2018, they will hit the mats, beam, vault, and bars as they perfect their routines.
They will meet up with the other gymnasts on their team for training camp before the main event, and work with the representing coach for the zone on perfecting their skills.
Because the girls won't have the familiar face of Bettenson coaching them, he said the opportunity has taught them to be more independent.
“It's reality. If you want to get this, you can't just want it. Wanting it is not enough. You have to use the tools and work hard to put it all together and to make it happen. Otherwise, nothing happens, it's just wishful thinking. These girls had to do that, and now they have one more step by competing without me around,” Bettenson said.
