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Can I still become an Olympian at age 19?
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OlympianRG



Joined: 13 Mar 2011
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun, 13-Mar-2011 19:05    Post subject: Can I still become an Olympian at age 19? Reply with quote

Ok, I know it sounds old to start RG at age 19, but I am really determined and prepared to work hard.

Over the past few years I've become seriously enamored with this sport. I think it's one of the most beautiful sports there is.

Please don't be confused by the 'Oympian' in the title, I know aiming for gold might not be possible, but just getting in the Olympics would already be heaven for me.

I'm a perfectionist at everything that I do. I haven't followed any RG courses yet, as I wanted to focus on school first and my parents wouldn't let me. They said I still 'd have plenty of time after high school.

I can already do all the splits with a slight oversplit on the left. I weigh 49kg and am 1.75 meter, which is the same as Anna Bessonova Very Happy .
I can also do a bridge and get my hands to about 15cm of my feet.

I got a bit scared when I see people retiring at 23 years old Sad . Why do they do that? Can't they still get better at RG? I would never give up.

I'm from Belgium, so I'm looking for the best place to practice and a good coach.

Could you guys please help me. I know it might take years and years to get to my goal, but I'm not a quitter and am prepared to work very hard. I'm already stretching about 5 hours a day.
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RinaRg



Joined: 15 Jun 2010
Posts: 1061
Location: Egypt

PostPosted: Sun, 13-Mar-2011 19:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's never late to do what you want Wink
Not all the gymnasts stop at the age of 23 , take an example like Almudena Cid , she stopped at the age of 30 so you have the time and your weight and height are good for RG but you need more flexibility Smile
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Sasta33



Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 357
Location: United States (East Coast)

PostPosted: Mon, 14-Mar-2011 3:01    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know there's going to be some people who will say that 19 is a bit old to start, but I am not one of those people. I think that if it's an activity that you truly love, then you should go for it no matter what.
No one knows what the future brings, and I think that although other gymnasts start earlier, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't at least make a go for it. You just never know what could happen, and I think that's the beauty of sports. It's unpredictable.
Who knows? Maybe you will find yourself to be a natural talent at RG, and will progress so rapidly that you'll surprise even yourself. You never know until you try.
Sports, especially RG, should never just be available for little kids and teens. It should stretch through the adult years because a certain maturity and expressiveness comes with age.
Look at Anna Bessonova. Look at Almudena Cid. Look at the artistic gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who at age 34 is still going strong and wants to try for her sixth Olympic Games. Look at French gymnast Benoit Caranobe. He once said that "You are a gymnast all your life." I take those words to be absolutely true and inspiring.
I am 25 now, and I still do RG, which I didn't start until age 13. I have improved more in my late teens and twenties than I ever did as a young teen, and I'm totally serious about this. I understand how to stretch correctly now, and how to work with the apparatus in more challenging ways, than I ever did as a young teen. It all makes more sense now, it really does. It's like now, more than ever, I "get it."
I think those gymnasts who retire early retire because they had spent their whole childhood and adolescence in the gym, and then they got burned-out. Maybe tired, overworked, needed a break...who knows? Maybe they were placed into the sport by their parents before they, as people, really knew what they actually enjoyed doing. But you're in a unique position because, as a young adult, you have the chance to pursue something that you're PASSIONATE about and can actually understand through the eyes of a young adult. It's going to really mean something to you because you know not to take it for granted. You found it "later" in life (sports-wise only, I mean!), and so you realize the preciousness of it.
Age should play no factor in what you love to do. Go for it and see where it takes you. It sounds like you're a very hard worker already, so see what happens. Start with small goals and work your way up...try for smaller local competitions or shows, and then see how you do. Then aim a little higher and give that a try. Little steps. See where this takes you, whether that's the Olympics or simply fulfilling your goal of becoming a great gymnast. Either way, that's an amazing thing.
It's so, so, so much better to give something a try and see what happens...then to never try at all and wonder what could have been. Wink
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sanchara



Joined: 13 Apr 2010
Posts: 468
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Mon, 14-Mar-2011 6:20    Post subject: Reply with quote

Passion and dedication are key. And never loose sight of why you are really doing this - for fun becuse you love it.

For me in my vaulting at 17 I decided I wanted to go to the world championships. I was not strong, not flexibile and generally quite hopless. My coach even told me that I'd never make it. but long story short I ended up moving clubs and training under my idol Colin and in four years made it from beginner to internatioal level. Most vaulters take at least ten years to make the progess I have. Having great a coach is soooooo important. I wouldn't be anywhere without him.

I also have an amazing artistic gymnastics coach (cross training for vaulting - dunno what cross-training you need for RG) and a decent ballet coach.


Also as you are a little older you need to make room in your budget for health related stuff - routein chiropractic and massage. I would see a physiotherapist and figure out what you need to do to prevent injury.

If you can book a meeting with your coach to descuss your ultimate goal and create smaller ones and a training plan to get you there. Then forget about the goal and just stick to the plan and take each training one day at a time. it dosn't matter what sport your in. The reason you do it is the same. Becuse you love it. Very Happy
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*Kalinka*



Joined: 09 Apr 2009
Posts: 2180
Location: Italy

PostPosted: Mon, 14-Mar-2011 9:09    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suggest you to start RG! It's never late for practising the sport you love! Smile

But (I don't want to be cruel) I don't think you will be able to attend very important competitions like Europeans, Worlds and Olympics... Gymnasts who partecipate to that competitions do RG since when they are child. For example, Russian, Belarusian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian gymnasts start RG at 3, 4 or 5 maximun. But I know that the Italian gymnast Susanna Marchesi started to do artistic gymnastics at 8 and at 11 she started rhythmic gymnastics.

Anyway, 19, in my opinion, is too late for going to Olympics. It's never late to have fun, but not to have that high ambitions. Even if you are quite flexible and thin, you don't have the handling of the apparatus and the right body technique...

But it should not be a problem if you love RG. If you love a sport, it doesn't matter what goals you will be able to reach. For sure, reaching goals makes you happy, but just enjoy the sport you love! Love
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Invisible Hedgehog



Joined: 27 Oct 2003
Posts: 1718
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv

PostPosted: Fri, 18-Mar-2011 21:26    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think that you can become an Olympian in RG if you move to...something like Marshall islands or other exotic countries and could get the spot as a Tripartile Commission of FIG-NOC-IOC like Cape Verde usually does )
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uscoach



Joined: 06 Nov 2003
Posts: 503
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat, 19-Mar-2011 3:59    Post subject: Reply with quote

Simple answer "NO"

You can have fun, but Olympic games are reserved for very few girls. Many girls who have been training for15+ years don't even dare to dream of going to the Olympics.

What you need to do is be realistic. People who end up going to the Olympics dedicate their entire life to the sport, have the right circumstances going for them, the right talent, the best coaching teams, the best support and they are also lucky...you can be an amazing gymnast but if it's not your time when the Olympic games come, you may miss your chance.

To many factors to consider. Honestly I think your question is ridiculous, and borderline disrespectful.
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Tahnee
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Joined: 11 Jan 2004
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PostPosted: Sat, 19-Mar-2011 11:19    Post subject: Reply with quote

uscoach wrote:
Honestly I think your question is ridiculous, and borderline disrespectful.


I'm kind of glad someone's said this. It sounds harsh, but it's true.
Take me for example - I've trained for nearly 17 years, I started at age 4. But I will never be going to the Olympics, even though I do work hard at training and have throughout my entire life in the sport. I had natural talent, and a very flexible back, but I was always realistic - the Olympics is something you need to train 30-40 hours a week for, for a great deal of your time in RG, as well as having natural talent, a good coach, good training conditions, and having the RG politics in your country in your favour is also helpful.

Like someone mentioned previously, it's also very difficult to pick up the body and apparatus technique at age 19, not to mention the fact that you're fully grown by then and your flexibility is generally limited. Although I have a flxible back when I was younger, and trained regularly, my flex has decreased dramatically over the last 5 years. It's hard enough to maintain when you're in the sport for your whole life, let alone if you just blow in at 19.

So no, you won't become an Olympian, but if you love it that much, there's no reason why you shouldn't give it a go.
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Youandi



Joined: 26 Oct 2008
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Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Sat, 19-Mar-2011 15:44    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even national level is quite hard to archieve or am i wrong?
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Salphone



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 452
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Tue, 22-Mar-2011 10:39    Post subject: Reply with quote

Simple answer: No.
If you want to participate at the Olympics, you should look out for other sports, where you are not required to start at an early age. I don't know if there are some.
If you just want to do gymnastics: have fun! But it's seriously not possible for you to reach such a high level at RG. You will need years to acquire a decent level of flexibility and it will take years to master apparatus handling. Coordination, reaction and flexibility will decrease over the years.
You also need to see if you are really able to spend 8-10 hours for training every day. You might go to University or find a job and I don't see how you want to squeeze long training hours in. Since you are not on a competitive level, there will be no sponsor for you unless your parents can support you for 10 years or so. Many gymnasts retire when they are 20 because they have to focus on University. You might be able to do RG in your free time, but this way you won't reach a serious competitive level. If you want to go for it, you probably won't have time for University, jobs or anything else beside RG and even if you do this, your chances to achieve national level are quite slim.
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akika10



Joined: 03 Mar 2010
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Location: Between Kanagawa Japan and US!

PostPosted: Wed, 23-Mar-2011 2:37    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well the optimist in me says that if you have a loser's mentality you will not make it. But if you try, then you just may.

And if you don't, you'll just be another dreamer with a loser's mentality.
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Sasta33



Joined: 08 Feb 2007
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Location: United States (East Coast)

PostPosted: Wed, 6-Apr-2011 3:06    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dreams are so frequently crushed in this harsh world that I can hardly believe my ears that someone will accuse a dreamer of being "disrespectful"or "ridiculous" because they dare to hang on to those dreams.

There will be enough disppointments, heartaches, and difficult moments throughout this journey without random people --who don't know her talents personally-- telling her that she will never make it. Right from the start? Come on, people.

She knows that this sport is difficult. We all know, especially us gymnasts and coaches who have toiled for many years, that it can be impossible to get as far as one wants.
But if we crush someone's hopes before seeing just how far they end up, then what kind of people are we?

Time will tell what kind of talent and success she will end up with. Only time. That is it. Not me, not any of you.

Some people find their life's passion later than others. Not all are lucky enough to know what we want to accomplish in life as small children....but does that make those dreams any less meaningful or important if they're dreamed at age nineteen because they couldn't be dreamed at age six?

We, as a rhythmic community, are supposed to help and support one another. That's the point of a forum like this...to come together, to encourage each other to push for those goals, no matter what the outside world is telling us about this crazy sport that we insist on pursuing.

I have been a rhythmic gymnast for half of my life. I know its difficulties, its demands, its heartache.
But not for one heartbeat would I ever dream of telling someone that they will not make it. Because to predict the future, to predict the swing of sports, to predict the course of someone's life...that isn't within my power, nor is it within any of yours.

There are a lot of people in this world who, in career, in sports, in life itself, were told that their chances of success were nonexistent. Hopeless. And so many times, those people were the ones who made it. Some are told that they're crazy for dreaming big. Others are ridiculed. Even more are made to feel as though their dreams are worthless.

I would hope that we, as a rhythmic community, are not those types of people who would crush a dream for the sole purpose of proving a point...or to show off just how much we know the history of the sport and its politics.

The OP will find out, in time, if her goals will make it to reality. She posed the question looking for encouragement, for a kind word, for the acknowledgment that her dreams were not in vain...for a few posititve words to help her reach for her goals.

I am not saying to ignore reality. In sports, reality is always close by in our failures and successes. The Olympics are reserved for the best...the OP knows this.

However, we don't know what her best IS yet. If we blatanty write someone off without even SEEING her capabilities and what may come of her work, then we are the ones who are "disrespectful" and "ridiculous." Not her.

If she doesn't make it to the Olympic Games, then what did we gain from telling her from square one the arrogant words of "I told you so?" Nothing except a notch in our belts for feeling like...what? Like we know so much about the sport that we can predict every athlete's future success? We all know, too well, the number of athletes who have crossed through this board that we all raved about and insisted they'd be stars. And so many disappeared off the radar completely. And those were the ones we raved about from the time they first appeared. So early success or a long training career isn't always the early predictor of success. Sometimes, you WILL have a Shelby Kisiel, who popped out of nowhere and has become a fantastic US rhythmic gymnast in her late teens after training for just two years in the sport.

Give people the chance to see what they can do. If the OP doesn't make it to the Olympics, well... then she'll know it. We don't add anything constructive or meaningful to her experience by stubbornly telling her what her future holds.

In rhythmic gymnastics, our numbers are so small to begin with. Let's not turn away and discourage the few recruits that we do get who truly love what we all do here. Do not forget the reason why we are all here in the first place...because we dream big in this sport,no matter what our level may be.
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sanchara



Joined: 13 Apr 2010
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Location: Canada

PostPosted: Wed, 6-Apr-2011 5:39    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sasata I love this post!!! soooo true!! and so valuable.
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*Kalinka*



Joined: 09 Apr 2009
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Location: Italy

PostPosted: Wed, 6-Apr-2011 20:30    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sasta33 wrote:

Some people find their life's passion later than others. Not all are lucky enough to know what we want to accomplish in life as small children....but does that make those dreams any less meaningful or important if they're dreamed at age nineteen because they couldn't be dreamed at age six?

We, as a rhythmic community, are supposed to help and support one another. That's the point of a forum like this...to come together, to encourage each other to push for those goals, no matter what the outside world is telling us about this crazy sport that we insist on pursuing.

We are not supposed to tell something we don't think. She asked a question and some users answered her. If we must tell lies for make other users happy, this forum would be very useless, besides full of hypocrisy! Mr. Green

And no one said that "her dreams are less important than others". And passion isn't enough for the Olympics! All of us know that you need (like others sayd before me) A LOT of talent and training. That's why most of us told her that her dream was almost impossible. Yes, I think OlympianRG understands that RG is a difficult sport, but only if you practice it you can understand it completely.
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LudaFenka



Joined: 29 Dec 2010
Posts: 806

PostPosted: Thu, 7-Apr-2011 4:45    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a story about a little girl who grew up around those who believe it's better to be harsh than to be "hypocritical."

So, there was this little girl, who was very talented and very pretty. She made the national team, and she competed at several big events, including an European championship. She won medals. Despite this, some of the harsh people around her kept telling her that she is just not good enough.

So she quit gymnastics, and right away started dating a known mafia boss. With his money, she had several plastic surgeries. She started her own TV show and became famous...One day, in an interview, she was asked what she sees when she looks in the mirror and she said, "I think that I am fat." She had a child with the crime boss who was later shot by other crime bosses. Then she dated other similar people. But what's the use. What is the use for money or silicone, or fame, if you yourself see the same fat girl in the mirror every day, the girl who is just "not good enough"?

This is just a story and any resemblance with real people and events is purely coincidental and hardly surprising at all.

I think the moral of stories like this one is that people who go around telling others that they are not good enough should check their own mirror. And think about what made them quit on their own dreams, if they ever had any.

And I don't think it's hypocritical to encourage someone to go after what they want. Look at Silvia Miteva. She wasn't even on the national team when she was 19. And now, well,if she stays healthy, sure enough, she has a very big chance to be an Olympian. A 99% chance. Smile
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