December being the last month of the year, we sometimes can’t help but focus on what is yet to come. As exciting as that can be, it’s also important to take a moment to look back and appreciate what we’ve been able to accomplish thus far. Oftentimes, the little victories sneak up on us – an athlete finally landing their tumble, a partnership getting a new skill out of the belt, a child regaining an individual element after an injury or a new partnership having a clean routine at their first local competition together. The real achievements of the athletes and the acro program are found in the accumulation of these moments. With this in mind, here is a quick look back on what’s been happening in the month of December in and around the gym.

1^st Ontario Acro Cup Results

This was a big year for the acro program filled with lots of changes and expectations. For many, this meant new partnerships, new positions within a partnership, training group changes and new competitive levels with challenging new skills to learn. The learning curve has been steep and the 1^st Ontario Cup was the first opportunity for many to debut what they have been working so hard for. Families and friends came out in droves to support these talented gymnasts and right from the start of the competition, it was abundantly clear that both the athletes and their dedicated coaches had risen to the occasion. In total, OGC partnerships won 13 golds, 3 silvers, and 1 bronze medal. Congratulations to all!

Level 5 – OGC’s level 5 trio of Sofia Belal, Abbey O’Keefe, and Isla Sheridan-Jonah performed beautifully resulting in a 1st place finish.

Level 6 – Congratulations goes out to Gabby Nunez and Janine Gong (pictured below) on their impressive 1st place finish in the level 6 women’s pair category.

OGC’s youngest mixed pair, Reis Glowsky and Lauren Marttila, earned another gold medal for their level 6 routine.

As for the level 6 trios, OGC’s Emma Yang, Haya Al-Tameemi, and Sophia McDonald came in a well-deserved 1st place.

Level 7 – Congratulations to our level 7 trios who both had impressive routines.

In the 8-13 level 7 category, Jorden Diana, Sophie Burda, and Amytis Damad (pictured below) brought in a silver medal and in the 14+ level 7 category, Peyton Morel, Maya Borg, and Ella Fedoration landed the gold.

Youth – In the youth women’s pair category, OGC had Leah Koffman and Olivia Kopec finishing in second place and also from OGC, Malak Mohammed and Meleana Yazdiani (pictured immediately below) in first place.

 

 

From the youth trio category, Sara Meneses, Gaby Swan, and Karolina Kopec (pictured below) brought home the gold for OGC.

Age Group 11-16 – This category saw 3 trios from OGC compete along with one from Gymnastics Mississauga and all performed beautifully. For many of the OGC trio bases, this was their first time competing as a base as 5 out of 6 of them were tops last season. It was truly extraordinary to see them excel in their new roles. It was a tough race to call but OGC’s Juliana Summers, Charlotte Penner, and Avery Lanoue pulled ahead overall and took home the gold. Emilia Ceconi, Anabel Ceconi, and Aubrey Tessarolo received a silver medal and the bronze went to Karyzza Guillermo, Ally Attard, and Joelle Attard. Congratulations to all!

 

 

Also in the 11-16 category, OGC had the mixed pair of Matteo Sanchez and Addison Chan make their debut as a new partnership with their impressive balance routine, adding another gold to the tally.

Age Group 12-18 – OGC’s 12-18 mixed pair, Theo Rots-Chan and Mila Disalle, brought home a gold medal and wowed the crowds with three extraordinary routines, showcasing impressive new skills. This was their first time competing at the 12-18 level and they closed the competition down in style.

Also bringing home a gold medal were Max Hendershot and Kristian Diana, OGC’s 12-18 men’s pair. This dynamic pair were also competing new skills at the 12-18 level for the first time and both their routines completely captivated the audience.

Finally, the OGC 12-18 trio of Marie-Eve Charette, Sydney White, and Olivia Beram, rounded up this level with another gold medal for OGC and as always, they were absolutely breathtaking to watch.

Junior 13-19 – We were very fortunate to catch an exquisite balance routine in the junior category. Cassandra Larner, Ashlee Chan, and Madeline Peretta (pictured below) make up OGC’s junior level trio and this was their first competition as a new partnership. We are proud to announce that they went home with a well-deserved gold.

An incredible amount of work goes into organizing these competitions so a special thank you to the meet committee: Philippa Durbin, Anna Attard, Melanie Provost, Debbie D’Souza, Nancy Caars, Melanie Larner, Sharon Lee-Chan and Scott Middleton.

Special Mention

Acro is a unique discipline in gymnastics due to the fact that it is partner-based and with this, comes along a set of unique challenges. Sometimes, a partner gets injured or ill before or during a competition. Other times, a partner may need to make the difficult decision to leave the sport altogether mid-season. This inevitably results in situations where the remaining partner is unable to compete despite their hard work.

This has been the reality for some athletes in the program and it’s important to mention that even though those without a partner and those who are working through an injury themselves could not compete at the recent competition, they have remained extremely committed and dedicated to their training. They continue to work hard and show up, showcasing that they have the maturity and discipline to go far in this sport.

Update – More Fundraising Success!

The results are in and the acro fundraising efforts have continued to pay off. The acro sponsored sleepover raised $700.00 and the gift basket raffle made $1,800.00.

Special thank you goes out to our amazing fundraising team – Melanie Provost, Raffaella Sanchez, and Jillian Joly. We truly appreciate all your hard work!

Filling the Gaps – OGC Acro Helps out the Local Lighthouse Shelter

It’s quite common to associate Oakville and the surrounding cities as affluent. However, this does not mean that Oakville is immune to poverty or homelessness and in many ways, those who live in poverty in these communities can be more isolated and hidden than those in larger urban cities. As a result, many poverty-based organizations in Halton sometimes find themselves struggling for resources.

This was the recent reality for the homeless shelter for the region of Halton – the Lighthouse. They are located directly across from the Nest on the South Service Road side and typically run at 100% capacity all-year round. This time of year they actually do receive frequent donations but these well-meaning offers do not always meet the actual practical needs of the shelter. The Lighthouse expressed that they had an issue with a shortage of underwear, socks, and toothpaste for shelter residents and when presented with this problem, OGC acro stepped up in a big way to help them fill the void.

OGC acro families generously purchased and donated bags full of brand new underwear, socks, and toiletries and these items were distributed among residents just a few days before Christmas. We actually did so well that the surplus of items will last the shelter well into the new year for incoming residents which is a critical time when donations tend to drop off.

The Lighthouse wished to offer its sincere thanks on behalf of their staff and residents to all of the OGC acro families for helping out their fellow community members.

Well done OGC acro!

What’s Next?

There won’t be much rest for the acro athletes as the 2^nd Ontario Cup is already fast approaching. This competition will be held at the Woodbridge Academy of Gymnastics on the weekend of January 26-27. More details will be posted on the blog as they become available.

In the meantime, wishing everyone a safe and wonderful holiday season and wishing everyone all the best as we head into 2019!