Watch out for this little Jumping Jack
What is the one sport that almost all of us watch at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, making ourselves experts, critiquing and applauding, as we envy the grace of the athletes?
The gymnastics.
Whether it is artistic or rhythmic, we are captivated by the way the artistes flip, leap and bend; doing it all with grace and in time to music. It was this sport, art, which Sonia Singh introduced to her daughter Saasha at the age of four.
The bubbly Saasha, now 14, is to represent New Zealand in artistic gymnastics, along with 9 others, at the Aloha Gymfest in Hawaii this coming January.
This international competition has been held for the past 36 years inviting athletes from the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and of course, New Zealand. Saasha will be the first Punjabi athlete from New Zealand to represent New Zealand at this event. When asked about her goals for Gymfest, she laughingly said that her priority was to place first and if not that, definitely second and third!
The 14-year-old started off dabbling in the rhythmic style of the sport early on in her training before being handpicked to join the artistic squad.
Saasha has been competiting on the national scale since the age of nine, which is the youngest age at which one can participate. In 2010, she earned the National Gymnastic Championship and hasn’t looked back since. It was only when asked about the challenges she faced in achieving pursuing her love for the sport did I discover that she was born and brought up in Christchurch.
Following the earthquake early last year, the family moved to Auckland throwing Saasha into a completely unfamiliar world; a new gym, new team and a new coach. Anyone else may have let this move and change distract them, and have slacked on training and competing, losing interest. This vivacious girl however, worked even harder to make sure she did not fall behind!
What is it about this sport that kept her attracted her and kept her interest so long? It is the uniquely risky and glamorous nature of the activity she says; mastering a technique and improving her rare skillset. When asked about her favourite move, she is silent for about a minute before resolutely deciding that there are way too many to choose from.
Her likes and interests, however, reach beyond the simple sporting aspect as Saasha explains that she loves meeting so many people and making new friends with similar interests. These interests however, are not just limited to gymnastics.
In addition to playing other sports such as football, touch rugby and running cross country, she mentions that she also enjoys sewing and arts and crafts. This taste in fashion must definitely come in handy in picking out her performance outfits! Her favourite outfit she muses is definitely her nationals costume, which is blue with stripes and many, many glittery sparkles.
So what is in store for Saasha’s future? Her mother Sonia says they are contemplating moving abroad to maybe the United States or the United Kingdom to broaden her daughter’s horizons and opportunities in terms of artistic gymnastics; the sport not being popular in New Zealand. She hopes that with Saasha’s love for the sport she will be able to earn a scholarship that allows her to train with the very best.
I’m sure Saasha’s appreciation of school subjects such as mathematics, science and social studies will definitely help her on this path. Her long term goals also extend in terms of her academics in that she hopes to, after competing (and placing) at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, of course, become a neurosurgeon.
Not an easy feat by any means but this self-assured, cheerful young woman I am sure will not rest until she gets there. She will surely be gracing our television screens, in blue stripey sparkles, at the Rio Olympics.
What is the one sport that almost all of us watch at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, making ourselves experts, critiquing and applauding, as we envy the grace of the athletes?
The gymnastics.
Whether it is artistic or rhythmic, we are captivated by the way the artistes flip, leap and...
What is the one sport that almost all of us watch at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, making ourselves experts, critiquing and applauding, as we envy the grace of the athletes?
The gymnastics.
Whether it is artistic or rhythmic, we are captivated by the way the artistes flip, leap and bend; doing it all with grace and in time to music. It was this sport, art, which Sonia Singh introduced to her daughter Saasha at the age of four.
The bubbly Saasha, now 14, is to represent New Zealand in artistic gymnastics, along with 9 others, at the Aloha Gymfest in Hawaii this coming January.
This international competition has been held for the past 36 years inviting athletes from the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and of course, New Zealand. Saasha will be the first Punjabi athlete from New Zealand to represent New Zealand at this event. When asked about her goals for Gymfest, she laughingly said that her priority was to place first and if not that, definitely second and third!
The 14-year-old started off dabbling in the rhythmic style of the sport early on in her training before being handpicked to join the artistic squad.
Saasha has been competiting on the national scale since the age of nine, which is the youngest age at which one can participate. In 2010, she earned the National Gymnastic Championship and hasn’t looked back since. It was only when asked about the challenges she faced in achieving pursuing her love for the sport did I discover that she was born and brought up in Christchurch.
Following the earthquake early last year, the family moved to Auckland throwing Saasha into a completely unfamiliar world; a new gym, new team and a new coach. Anyone else may have let this move and change distract them, and have slacked on training and competing, losing interest. This vivacious girl however, worked even harder to make sure she did not fall behind!
What is it about this sport that kept her attracted her and kept her interest so long? It is the uniquely risky and glamorous nature of the activity she says; mastering a technique and improving her rare skillset. When asked about her favourite move, she is silent for about a minute before resolutely deciding that there are way too many to choose from.
Her likes and interests, however, reach beyond the simple sporting aspect as Saasha explains that she loves meeting so many people and making new friends with similar interests. These interests however, are not just limited to gymnastics.
In addition to playing other sports such as football, touch rugby and running cross country, she mentions that she also enjoys sewing and arts and crafts. This taste in fashion must definitely come in handy in picking out her performance outfits! Her favourite outfit she muses is definitely her nationals costume, which is blue with stripes and many, many glittery sparkles.
So what is in store for Saasha’s future? Her mother Sonia says they are contemplating moving abroad to maybe the United States or the United Kingdom to broaden her daughter’s horizons and opportunities in terms of artistic gymnastics; the sport not being popular in New Zealand. She hopes that with Saasha’s love for the sport she will be able to earn a scholarship that allows her to train with the very best.
I’m sure Saasha’s appreciation of school subjects such as mathematics, science and social studies will definitely help her on this path. Her long term goals also extend in terms of her academics in that she hopes to, after competing (and placing) at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, of course, become a neurosurgeon.
Not an easy feat by any means but this self-assured, cheerful young woman I am sure will not rest until she gets there. She will surely be gracing our television screens, in blue stripey sparkles, at the Rio Olympics.
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