‘They’re ready’: local gymnasts qualify for international competition

A group of young gymnasts from Newmarket and Aurora continue to twist and turn in the air as they practice their routine to face international competition next month.

The Silhouettes of York Gymnastics Club Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Team will compete at the Pan American Championships in Guatemala June 2-6. This significant event attracts top talent from across the Americas.

“It’s a challenging competition,” said head coach Iana Nadtotchii. “I’ve been to this before with other girls. It is difficult because we are competing with other Spanish-speaking countries.”

Silhouettes offer opportunities for skilled gymnasts. Athletes compete worldwide in the United States, Europe, Australia and South America. They also offer nationwide groups. The club has had many national champions and national group champions.

The team consists of Angelica Hing, Sofie Belova, Natalie Grigore, Martina Ma, Emily Pimenovsky and Anastasia Sennikov. Five of them will compete together, while an extra serves as a backup, ready to step in. They practice with clubs and hoops and on their collaborations.

He trains about 25 hours a week. Their practice sessions are held at the KC Badminton Club in Aurora, even on weekends, as they strive to perfect their routines.

“It went a lot better,” said 15-year-old Anastasia Sennikov. “When you first get a routine, it’s all new and hard to get everything clean, but as you practice a lot, everything starts to form and come together in a good shape. “

Nadtotchii said the girls have to work well together, while a performer has to rely only on themselves. It can make it difficult to have each of them on board.

“Not only does it have to be seen, it has to be felt,” Nadtotchii said. “These girls have been together for a few years already. They know each other. A group routine is one body. I tell the girls at the end of the routine that it doesn’t matter which girl made the mistake, it’s the group that made the mistake.”

Sennikov thinks it’s essential to practice a lot, but she said the team needs to be mentally prepared and know they can do the routines. It builds self-confidence when routines become familiar.

“You have to memorize everything and stick to what you’re choreographed to do,” Sennikov said. “If you’re mentally and physically prepared, those are the two most important things, for me personally, that help me do the routines.”

Sennikov said they have a lot of training to do, but they will be ready to go. She said her coach knows best and she listens carefully to his instructions.

Nadtotchii said the team has gotten better and stronger over the years as it has gained more experience. As they improve, she offers more challenging choreography that can be difficult to learn and implement.

“Their routines are extremely difficult, which offers the risk of making mistakes, but they are prepared for it,” Nadtotchii said.

As the Nadtotches train the girls through a routine, she discovers that she must respond to them differently depending on their personalities. Some girls need to be aggressive and angry to perform better, while others need hugs and nice words.

She focuses on the technical aspects of their routine, such as how they catch and release, and what she, as the coach, can control. She only steps in when one of the girls shows emotion that overwhelms her performance.

Nadtotchii also considers environmental factors, as hot and humid temperatures can make it difficult to function in the heat. Other teams may be used to the scorching heat. Nadtotchii usually travels with her team a day or two early to practice before hitting the stage.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the girls’ costs to travel to Latin America for the competition.