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Day of highs and lows for young gymnasts at games

Feb 21, 2018 | 1:03 PM

It was a day of emotional highs and lows for young athletes vying in the final round of artistic gymnastics competitions on Wednesday.

Parents filled the stands cheering on their kids taking part in the events as part of the Saskatchewan Winter Games in North Battleford. 

Mom Sabrina Stewart who was visiting from the Saskatoon area consoled her daughter Isabella Wallace, nine, who was tearful after achieving a less than stellar performance in the finals at the end of the competition.

Only a day before the youth won first place in artistic gymnastics. On Monday, her team came in second place.  

Wallace competed in several gymnastics categories including the floor routine, the balance beam and the vault.  

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a daughter who competed for Team Prairie Central, and got a silver medal for gymnastics,” Stewart said. “She competed in the all-around (athlete) yesterday (Tuesday) and got a gold medal.

“Just as in all sports, there is a long way to fall off the podium. Today in individuals she didn’t do as well as she had hoped, and she is quite disappointed,” Stewart said. “But that’s the good lesson sports teaches kids – to be strong mentally, and to take the good times and also the not-too-good times.”    

Stewart said taking part in the games has been “an excellent experience” for her daughter, as well as for herself as a parent looking on.

Stewart said the games competition teaches kids how to deal with life events outside of sports, too.

“We’ll keep doing it, as long as she is loving it,” said Stewart.

The results in the finals in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline will be announced Wednesday afternoon.

 angela.brown@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @battlefordsNOW