Artistic gymnast, Claudia Cummins, shared just how passion could lead to great success.
As a hyperactive four-year-old, Cummins’ best outlet was gymnastics.
“I would do ‘monkeynastix’ at school and my teacher at the time spotted me and told my mom that I should consider gymnastics,” she said.
Thereafter, Cummins started at the Newlands-based Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre and has been there ever since.
Through the years, gymnastics has taught her a lot about time management, discipline, hard work and how to set goals. To date, Cummins has participated in various competitions and has received numerous accolades.
The 21-year-old accomplished her biggest goal which was to participate in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games where she made the team finals. She also qualified as a reserve for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The Fontainbleau resident explained that participating in the Olympics was never one of her ultimate goals. “My goal was always to compete in the Commonwealth Games and the fact that I got onto reserve for Rio was really amazing.”
Cummins effortlessly shows that with hard work and persistence anyone can always successfully accomplish feats they never thought possible. She has also completed her BA in Sports Psychology and looks to complete her honours in biokinetics at the University of Johannesburg this year.
This year, the young sportswoman hopes to qualify for the 47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships which will be held in Canada in October. She is also training towards the University Games which will be held in Taipei. Her favourite apparatus are the beam and the vault, which she said she competes best in.
The gymnast praises her mother, Debbie, for being one of her biggest supporters.
“She has never missed a competition of mine and she has always been by my side at the best and worst of times,” said Cummins.
She also attributed her success to her coaches who work with her tirelessly.
To aspiring young gymnasts she encouraged them and said, “To get up again after a fall, makes you a champion.”
Through all her struggles, what kept this gymnast going was her resilience and her unyielding desire to finish everything she starts.
