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COACHES and EXECUTIVE   Maija Ceming Tanja Ceming Mardi Denniston Mardi has been an active member with the Sampo RG Club for the last 20 years in the capacity of coach for the elite team. Mardi graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Honours Bachelor of Physical Education followed by a Bachelor of Education degree. She then went on to earn her Level II NCCP Coaching certification and has also served as a sessional teacher of dance and rhythmic gymnastics at Laurentian University for the last 10 years. Mardi has travelled extensively with the club with her travels including: World Gymnaestradas in Berlin, Germany and Gottenburg,Sweden; coaching seminar in Helsinki, Finland; National Gymnaestradas in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Calgary. Mardi has also served as Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Sampo Club. Julie Ethier Julie Ethier has been involved with the Sampo RG Club for the past 16 years. From the tender age of four, Julie began as a recreational gymnast where she won the Salli Ahveniemi Award for Gymnast of the Year. It was this award that gave Julie the push into the competitive stream and she hasn’t looked back since. Since then, Julie also received the Best Effort Award for a Gymnast on two occasions. Julie recently graduated from Laurentian University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, while at the same time, earning her NCCP Level I coaching certification. Julie has coached the Elite Performing group for the past ten years with the gymnasts ranging in age from 8-19 years and has earned her 5 year Gold Heart Award for Coaching. Julie’s travels with Sampo include: Canadian Gymnaestradas in Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, and Toronto; World Gymnaestradas in Amsterdam, Berlin, Gotenburg, and Helsinki; Blue Jays Pre-Show Performances in Toronto. Julie has also coached the Sampo team that has competed at the Canadian Red Ribbon Aesthetic Competition, since its establishment four years ago, placing in the top three each year, is currently coordinating the development of the Sampo Web Page, and was Scoring Judge at the Canadian Special Olympics Rhythmic Competition in 1998. Heini Heinonen-Kari For over 30 years, Heini has been actively involved with the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in many different capacities. Heini first became involved in 1970 as a recreational level gymnast and has since served as a coach for recreational gymnasts for 11 years, Vice-President, Registrar, and Replacement Coach for the Club. Heini’s educational background includes a BA and NCCP certification Level I and Theory Level II. Recognitions Heini has received include a 5 year Gold Heart, 10 year Gold Medallion, 15 year Gold Rectangle, and 20 year Gold Hoops for her involvement in coaching. Heini has also travelled extensively with the club both domestically and internationally. Her travels include: Finnish Grand Festivals in Windsor, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Vancouver, Timmins and Sudbury; Canadian Gymnaestrada, Vancouver; Ontario Gymnaestrada, Toronto; Gymnastics seminars, Toronto, Sudbury, Savolinna-Finland, Helsinki-Finland, Syke 100, Helsinki; World Gymnaestrada, Gotenburg, Sweden. Heini has also coordinated many events within both the club and community at large such as: 1985 music coordinator Canadian R.G. Championships; 1999 music coordinator Special Olympics, Sudbury; 1981-present music coordinator Sampo Spring Spirit; Blue Book coordinator. Lauri Lukkarila Lauri has been coaching the Kindergym portion of the recreational program for the last 5 years. This past year, Lauri received her Gold Heart in recognition of her 5 years with Sampo as a coach. Lauri has her NCCP Level certification and has traveled with the club to Gymnaestradas in Amsterdam and Calgary. Lauri became involved with Sampo after driving her girls to practice beginning in the late 80's. Susanne Neufeld Susanne became a Sampo enthusiast after first bringing her daughter to join the club as a gymnast in 1983. Since then Susanne has become very involved herself. She received her NCCP Level I and Level II Theory and has been coaching for 6 years receiving her gold heart last year. Susanne is also an active member and past chair of the Parent’s Association and has represented Sampo at the Ontario Gymnastics Association Annual Meeting as well as serving as recording secretary at all coaches meetings for Sampo. Susanne has often travelled with the club, some of these travels include: World Gymnaestrada, Amsterdam; Member of Canadian Team at World Gymnaestrada, Berlin; National Gymnaestrada, Winnipeg. Susanne is currently coaching recreational level gymnasts ranging in age from 3 to 5 years. Cristina Roque Cristina Roque is no stranger to the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. From the tender age of 2, where she began as a gymnast, to her current position as a coach with recreational gymnasts, Cristina has been involved with the club for over 16 years! With an NCCP theory level 1, she has been coaching for three years working regularly with two groups of recreational gymnasts ranging in age from 7-10 and 11+ years. Even with her busy coaching schedule, Cristina still manages to find time to be a member of the Senior Elite Group which competes annually at Red Ribbon Group Aesthetic Competition and has placed in the top two each year for the last four years. She was also awarded the Best Effort Award for a gymnast. Cristina has traveled extensively with the club, performing in Sweden, Ottawa, and Toronto, as well as at many National Gymnastraedas, Blue Jays Games and Finnish Grand Festivals. Besides coaching and performing, she has also done lots of work for the Sampo website and has helped to organize club fundraising events such as for the local MCTV Christmas Telethon. Cristina is currently a high school student and also coaches a local soccer team in her spare time. Polly Rutenburg Polly has been a member of Sampo since 1969 when she first began as a recreational gymnast. Since this time, Polly has remained a committed and dedicated member of the club, serving in almost every imaginable capacity. Some of the posts that Polly has served include: coaching recreational gymnasts, executive member, public relations officer, registrar, secretary, and replacement coach. Polly has also represented the club well through her numerous volunteering efforts within the community. Some of these include volunteering at: Pan Am Track and Field Games-1980, Games for the Disabled, 1988 World Junior Track and Field Championships, and Co-Chair Publicity for 50th Anniversary Finnish Grand Festival. Polly has also been very involved in Sampo’s fundraising ventures for travel opportunities for its gymnasts including almond and ticket sales. Polly holds both Levels I & II NCCP certifications and has received the Gold Heart, Gold Medallion, and Gold Rectangle in recognition of her dedication to coaching for the last 15 years. Polly has also traveled extensively with the Sampo Club with some of her travels including: Finnish Grand Festivals in Vancouver, Calgary, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie; Coaching Seminars in Helsinki, Kokkola, and Kortine in Finland; World Gymnaestradas in Amsterdam and Berlin. Deborah Tincombe Deborah has been involved with the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club for 25 years with 23 of them being a coach for the Recreational Program. Deborah performed with the club up until 1995. She is a Level II NCCP certified coach and is also an internationally recognized women’s group competition judge having completed the course in Helsinki, Finland in 1996. Deborah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo in 1979. In 1997, Deborah received an award recognizing her dedication to the sport of rhythmic gymnasts, in particular her involvement as a coach with the club for 20 years. She has also traveled extensively with the club coaching the gymnasts that Sampo sent to the International Gymnaestradas held in Amsterdam and Berlin in 1991 and 1995. Besides coaching the 8-10 year old recreational gymnasts, Deborah also currently serves as club treasurer. This page was last updated on September 5, 2000. Questions or comments can be sent to samporgc@yahoo.com. © Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. 2000. This site was designed by Gil Pharand.