Rooskrantz remains motivated for 2021 Olympics

Local gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz is excited to upgrade and expand her routines this year ahead of the 2021 Olympics.

The former Parktown Girls learner has spun 2020 on its head to see the positives of the postponement of the Olympic Games.

“The postponement has allowed me to have extra time to prepare and upgrade many of my routines,” said Rooskrantz, adding that she was scheduled to take part in a few training camps and competitions before heading to Tokyo.

“The club competitions, national competitions and world cups will help me to gain experience with upgraded routines so that when I get to the Olympics, I am fully confident.”

While 2020 was not a year of smiles, since she had to extend her gap year and lost out on much training time at the gym, she was grateful for the people who kept her grounded.

“2020 was supposed to be the biggest year of my career but it ended up being the complete opposite of that. Not training for almost four months and the threat of my gym almost closing its doors was very stressful.

“Something that kept me grounded was the people around me – my family and my teammates. Lockdown made me grateful for a lot of things, the biggest one being my health, which I used to take for granted.”

Having dreamed of competing at the Olympics for many years, she was thankful that this milestone would soon become reality.

“I most look forward to representing my country and making a presence for South Africa in gymnastics for the first time in over 15 years, which is a big achievement.”

She encouraged her fans and local community members to keep their heads up in 2021.

“While it has not been the best start to the year, things will get better eventually. Focus on the things you do have and be grateful for those things.”

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