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Banff gymnast to represent Alberta at western championships

“I’m pretty proud of myself after not being able to come into the gym for a bit [due to COVID-19] and just picking myself up after."

BOW VALLEY ­– The pandemic didn't slow down Banff's Leona Gentien as one of the top gymnasts in the province.

Following a shining performance at Western Trials, Gentien is representing Alberta at the Western Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Winnipeg between April 21-23.

“I’m pretty proud of myself after not being able to come into the gym for a bit [due to COVID-19] and just picking myself up after,” said Gentien, who competes in Canadian Junior Olympic (JO) Level 9.

It's the first Westerns since 2019, and is the top proving ground for young gymnasts in provinces and territories west of Ontario.

Western Trials was held in Wetaskiwin, near Edmonton, last weekend (March 22-24) with approximately 300 athletes twisting and turning for a chance to advance to the bigger competition.

Gentien won first in bars with a high score of 9.733, and finished sixth in beam, seventh in vault, and was fifth all-around.

“I was a little bit nervous for the competition, obviously, if I would qualify or not, you know, just got to go in confident and believe in yourself,” she said.

Originally starting at the defunct Banff gymnastics club six years ago, Gentien now represents the Canmore Illusions gymnastics club.

Illusions coach, Carley Evans, praised Gentien and said she's been dedicated to the craft and is always improving.

"She’s one of those kids who just don’t stop working. She’s at practice every single day and goes not stop,” said Evans.

Before Westerns, however, Gentien is set to compete at the Alberta Provincial Championships in Edmonton, April 12-14. The competition will determine if the Banff gymnast will qualify for nationals in May.

“As long as I do the best as I can, honestly, even if I don’t make it … it’s still OK,” she said.

Three other members of the Illusions club also competed at Western Trials in the JO Level 8.

Nisha-Jolie Krause finished fourth in bars, Ruby Newsome finished 13th in bars, and Lydia Ridgely finished 10th in bars, ninth in beam, and was 11th all-around.

“The goal for most of them was just being able to attend the trials, especially after not competing for two years with COVID,” said Evans.

“Honestly, they really didn’t look like they had been off for two years. As their coach, I was shocked [at how well they performed].”

The local club is hosting its 20th Summit Invitational from May 5-8 at the Canmore Recreation Centre.


Jordan Small

About the Author: Jordan Small

An award-winning reporter, Jordan Small has covered sports, the arts, and news in the Bow Valley since 2014. Originally from Barrie, Ont., Jordan has lived in Alberta since 2013.
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