An Okotoks gymnast had a coming of age celebration in getting to the Alberta Winter Games.
Ten-year-old Majken Holmgren-Zunti of Foothills GymStars in Okotoks made the Zone 2 squad by finishing second at the Alberta Winter Games trials in December in Airdrie.
She admits it was intimidating competing against girls as much as seven years her senior.
“Yeah a little bit,” Holmgren-Zunti said. “But I just knew that I had beaten older people before so I was just confident that I would do good.”
Holmgren-Zunti was able to finish in the top 3 in three of four disciplines among the nine gymnasts competing in Airdrie for Zone 2 spots.
She topped the bars standing – her favourite discipline.
“I do a free-hip-handstand which is at the start of my routine,” she said. “That’s the hardest part, but for me bars is like kind of in the middle of scary and not very scary.
“To me, beam is the most nerve-racking.”
She stood up to any qualms she had for the beam in Airdrie.
Although she didn’t finish in the top 3, her fifth-place finish put her in good position to make the Zone 2 team.
“I fell off once,” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t say this was my worst performance. I told myself that things happen and you can’t really change them.
“It can’t change how I think about the future.”
The future is bright as Holmgren-Zunti finished third in both the floor and the vault.
Her second-place finish firmly put her on the Zone 2 team, which has the top 4 at trials representing the area.
She’s got nervous excitement about going to the Games in February in Airdrie.
“It is very nerve-racking because I won’t be able to be with my coach (GymStars' Karen Sim) so I will have another coach,” Holmgren-Zunti said.
She plans to enjoy the moment.
“I don’t really make expectations for myself,” Holmgren-Zunti said. “I kind of go with what just happens.”
Sim said the young gymnast has already had a strong season.
“I think it’s amazing — this is her very first season at Level 7,” Sim said. “She’s the youngest of all the Level 7s that I know of.
“She’s very motivated and dedicated. It’s a big arena for someone so new, but I think she will rise to the challenge.
The Alberta Winter Games are Feb. 14-17 in Airdrie.
Hot in Vegas
Okotoks GymStars athletes cashed in with some medals at the Lady Luck Invitational in Vegas in January.
"We didn’t expect to come home with any medals but were thrilled to have four girls on the podium at such a big event,” Sim said in a prepared statement. “The girls competed against girls from all over the United States and Canada."
In the JO 7 category Holmgren-Zunti took silver on bars with a fabulous routine and also placed on beam and 4th all around.
In the JO Level 6 category, Ellery Nelson and Jaila Powell competed for the first time at this level and medalled alongside their teammate Riley Kotze.
Powell placed on uneven bars, floor, vault and all around. Ellery Nelson placed on floor and beam and Riley Kotze placed on beam and floor.
