Rhythmic Gymnastics - A Sport for All in Alberta

When someone says ‘Rhythmic Gymnastics’ your mind probably drifts to visions of unbelievable athletes floating across a carpet while simultaneously managing to manipulate a ribbon, hoop, ball, rope or set of clubs in such a way that they seemingly appear in their hand after multiple rotations of both themselves and the apparatus.  Rhythmic Gymnastics is a sport of incredible beauty in which athletes are able to emote the feeling of apiece of music through movement, it is a sport that encourages a little sparkle here and there, it is a sport that makes incredibly difficult feats look easy.  Rhythmic Gymnastics is all these things and more, but it is not a sport reserved only for the incredibly flexible or young.  I could fill this entire blog post with the different ways that Rhythmic Gymnastics (in my humble opinion) is the most beautiful sport in the world, but, the most beautiful part of it all is that it is a sport for everyone.

The joy of a preschool aged child spinning around and creating shapes with their very first ribbon, the wonder of being able to rotate a hoop around multiple parts of their body,  the excitement of catching their first ball in a trap (without hands) is unmatched, watching the love for the sport start to grow in a child’s eyes is a privilege to witness.  

The friendships born out of sharing the world stage with 30+ athletes whose ages span8 decades, who you have spent the last two years training with to be able to represent your country, last a lifetime and connects individuals in a way that in indescribable.  This sport offers an opportunity for athletes of all ages, abilities and athletic backgrounds to travel the province, country and world and share their love of Rhythmic Gymnastics.  The community that can be found in spending as little as an hour a week with a group of people moving your body and creating stunning images with apparatus, whether as a group or in an individual format are extremely beneficial for physical and mental health.  

Whether you are looking for a way to move your body for an hour a week, a group of llike-minded people to connect with, a place to learn brand new skills to showoff to your friends or have dreams of standing on top of a podium; there is truly something for everyone within Rhythmic Gymnastics Alberta.

 

Written by Ellie Monument

October 19, 2023