Dave Paul
Next up on the busy spring competition schedule for Bluewater Gymnastics Club is the provincial championships, which are being held this weekend in Mississauga.
A total of seven Bluewater athletes will be participating in the April 7-10 competition.
They include Amy Bladon (High Performance Junior), Jovie Richardson (High Performance Novice), Rachael Riley (High Performance Novice), Serena Baker (Level 10), Lexi McCormack (Level 9), Lyla D’Andrea (Level 6) and Shea Skinn-Wai (Level 7) replacing injured Haley Tarboten.
For Bladon, 14, Riley, 11 and Richardson, 10, it’s been a whirlwind past couple of months – and it’s not over yet.
The trio recently returned from the 25th annual Gymnix meet in Montreal, a huge event, featuring an international field of over 1,000 gymnasts from over a dozen different nations. (The meet was even larger this year because it served as a forerunner for the 2017 World Championships, which are being held in Montreal).
Competing in the Novice High Performance division, Riley was 4th overall (with third-place results on the uneven bars and vault) while Richardson was 6th overall (fourth on the bars).
Against some stiff competition in a combined junior and senior field, Bladon was 15th overall, and eighth on beam. (The category was won by Canadian Olympic gymnast Isabela Onyshko, of Manitoba).
In February, the Bluewater threesome of Bladon, Riley and Richardson qualified for the Canadian Championships at the Elite Canada meet in Halifax. The national championships will be held at the end of May, in Edmonton.
Bluewater coach – and national team director – Dave Brubaker, says Bladon, Riley and Richardson have shown the dedication needed to succeed as top-tier gymnasts.
“They’re young, very determined, hard-working kids. … They have promising futures, as long as they stay on the right path,” said Brubaker. He added, “they’re the type of kids who really enjoy it. It fits their lifestyle, I guess.”