Just another face in the crowd

Her name is Ana Maria and she is training at CSS Barlad, one of the many gymnastics clubs in Romania. As a "categoria I" gymnast (the equivalent of level 10 in the US), she is used to having younger gymnasts look up to her. She's been competing for almost 6 years and the pressures of clutch performances are nothing to her. The one thing this talented youngster isn't used to, is failure. "Very few gymnasts make it this far, especially in a country that is a traditional power in gymnastics, like Romania", she explains. "But it's only going to get harder from now." She is talented, hard working and she has a great attitude. What more could she need to be successful? "You have to be on the National team," she explains simply.

Ever since Bela Karoly established the National training center at Deva, being selected to the National team has been the one and only stepping stone to success. In over 20 years, no gymnast from outside the National team has ever medalled at the Romanian Nationals, let alone compete internationally. Given these odds, very few gymnasts choose to keep training if they are not chosen to become National team members. National team coaches select future team members by attending regionals meets and organizing training camps at Deva to scout for potential team members. The gymnastics program at Deva includes both a high school, where the senior team members attend class, and an elementary school complete with year-round boarding, where parents can sign up their children from age 6. Going to school at Deva is considered an advantage because most of the National coaches help out at the school, so they are much more familiar with the gymnasts from Deva.

Ana Maria, and many other gymnasts like her, doesn't have the advantage that gymnasts from Deva have -a school specially tailored to a gymnast's needs, a place where gymnastics comes first. "Going to a regular school makes it harder, because you have to do the same amount of work that the other students do, but you also need to find the time to train at least 5 hours every day." Luckily for her, most of the teachers are understanding and they try to help as much as they can, by letting them take their tests earlier or later if they have to go to meets. Ana insists she is just another teen-ager who likes to go to the movies and hang out with her friends, but she admits that all the work she has to put in can take its toll. "The hardest thing about going to a school with other students who aren't involved in gymnastics is seeing how much more freedom they have. They go out a lot more" After a brief pause, she adds that "They're also missing out on a lot of things we get to do. We went to an inter club competition in France and then to Italy and that was a lot of fun."

Many gymnasts almost give up their childhood to learn new skills and they spend hours in the gym, instead of being outside. However, none of them seem to have any regrets about the choice they made. Gymnastics is the second most popular sport in Romania and any chance of becoming a great gymnast is worth trying for. "I would definitely do it again", Ana Maria said without hesitation. "I can't think of anything else that could be more rewarding. Even if I don't make it any further, it's been worth it."

She might just have to be satisfied with what she achieved thus far. You see, Ana Maria could end up as "just" another one of the gymnasts who pushed the national team members to work that much harder in order to get where they are. And if somehow that turns out to be true, you won't have to look any further than the 2004 Olympic team to see what she has accomplished -- and that's bound to be something anyone can be proud of.


Back to Articles Page