Seychellois gymnasts of Elite Studio compete in high-level international competition |27 September 2019
Aliyah Sesay was placed second in her category (Photo source: Emma Mothée)
A team of gymnasts from Seychelles, accompanied by their coaches from Elite Dance & Fitness Studio Gymnastics Club attended a workshop/competition from August 20 to September 2, as part of an exchange with Gymnos Charleroi Gymnastics Club in Charleroi, Belgium.
The team consisted of 12 female gymnasts, aged 7 to 13, the president of the club, Emma Mothée, as well as two coaches and two assistant coaches.
The young gymnasts were given intense training during this exchange, at a professional gym with high-level technology and professional coaches. The competition also brought about the opportunity for a number of local coaches to judge their second international competition.
Leading up to this event, Mrs Mothée explains that all students in her gymnastics club have been training for about two years. In the last school term prior to the exchange in Belgium, the students trained five days a week.
“The way the students improved in different areas was amazing. For them to have been able to use a professional gym with high-level technology and to have had intense training with professional coaches, gave them the opportunity to shine. One of our students came out second in her category,” says Mrs Mothée.
Training for the students was conducted by head coach Veronique Bertin who is also an Olympic-standard coach, and Sonny Lime who has been part of the Seychelles Gymnastics Federation for over 20 years.
Mrs Bertin, who was the previous chairperson of the association, has a club in Belgium and this is the same club that the students from Elite Studio went to for the workshop.
Mrs Mothée explains that it was Mrs Bertin who helped her build the gymnastics club, and this is how Elite Studio formed its relationship with Belgium.
From there, all the necessary formalities for the local gymnastics club were completed, and together with the qualified coaches, beginner-level gymnastic classes began.
Mrs Mothée says that “Sir Sonny Lime is also one of the most dedicated Seychellois coaches that I have ever met. His love, devotion and loyalty to our club and gymnastics as a whole is reflected in his work. He works closely alongside Mrs Bertin with the competitive gymnasts, especially in acrobatics and supporting them on the uneven bars. Sir Sonny is also the coach for the beginners and recreational gymnasts of our club,” adds Mrs Mothée.
To date, the club has received a number of volunteers, including Olympic coaches, who have come to Seychelles and conducted various workshops.
Last year, some gymnastics students from Belgium came to Seychelles to take part in a training and competition over the course of one week.
In return, the gymnastics students in Seychelles were given the opportunity to compete in this recent workshop and competition in Belgium.
The benefits of taking part in gymnastics are many, explains Mrs Mothée. It improves the students’ level of fitness, motor skills, coordination and posture, as well as helping to strengthen their upper bodies and legs.
“It is a versatile activity which provides a good basis for other sports, enabling the students to take part in any other sport.
“Gymnasts train to be well coordinated in various areas like jumping and all other sports require these same movements. Swimmers and footballers are able to gain core strength from gymnastics. Some of our own gymnasts are very good in dancing and are always getting chosen for athletics in their respective schools.
“Through my studies, I also learnt that gymnastics is the basis of any sport. While I was at university, many students were impressed with dancers who could also do gymnastics/acrobatics, but unfortunately it is very hard to find teachers for acrobatics in Seychelles,” explains Mrs Mothée.
On another level, gymnastics also helps students to build their confidence, to have better discipline, to become good team players and to practice fair play.
“We are pleased with the progress made by our gymnasts and our club as a whole and this is thanks to a lot of hard work of our coaches and children and the support of our great group of parents. However, we do face a number of challenges. The major issue that we are currently facing is that we have nowhere to train. The gym was closed for renovation six months ago. We managed to secure a temporary space for a few months but currently do not have access to the gym. Such a situation is very discouraging for our athletes,” notes Mrs Mothée.
“I feel that having started our club with intention of growing gymnastics in Seychelles, which two years ago was almost non-existent, the authorities would have welcomed such a move and support us and encourage more clubs. But this has not been the case. Instead, like many other clubs in other sports in Seychelles who are facing the same challenges, whenever we try to take a step forward, for example taking our gymnasts on this exchange to get more exposure and higher level of training, we come back and are faced with other mishaps, that is no access to proper training facility. We are pulled back ten steps and as a result, our young athletes suffer,” says Mrs Mothée.
For more information, contact Elite Dance & Fitness Studio:
- Visit the Studio on 3rd Floor, Espace Building
- Telephone: 2 756 825
- Email: info@elitedancenfitness.com
- Follow the Studio on social media: Facebook page ‘Elite Dance and Fitness’ and Instagram account ‘elitedanceandfitness’
