By Ebony Carrington of Oowee Sports Nation
Team: ANS Rhythmic Gymnastics
Level: 6
School: Acellus Homeschool Academy
Grade: 7th
Age: 12
When you think of gymnastics, traditional instruments like the bars, balance beam and rings come to mind. Yet, there are six different types of gymnastics. 12-year-old Amina George performs rhythmic gymnastics ⸺ a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with apparatuses, such as balls, clubs, ribbons, hoops and ropes. She has been an active rhythmic gymnast for four years.
“It’s not like the gymnastics that Simone Biles does,” she said. “Some things are similar [like a floor routine], but rhythmic gymnasts are more flexible.”
The sport combines the elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics, therefore, rhythmic gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. George said the biggest misconception is that a rhythmic athlete’s healthy confidence is usually mistaken for being uptight and conceited.
George stumbled into rhythmic when she left her old ballet studio to find a new one. She was seeking one that develops posture, flexibility, balance and overall fitness ⸺ like ANS Rhythmics in Plano.
“I left my old ballet studio to find one that had the style I was looking for,” she shared. “I took a class and saw the other girls doing it and asked if I could try and here I am.”
George has previously done ballet, dance, played tennis and ran track. She feels they have all contributed to the athleticism she has to display for rhythmic gymnastics. She said because of her flexibility, she feels she dominates the most when she’s doing leaps in gymnastics. A goal that she’s set for herself in the coming year is to become a more mature gymnast, she currently competes as a Level 6.
“One of my biggest challenges has been participating in this sport while having epilepsy,” George shared. “Sometimes I can blank out while doing a routine or even have auras where I cry randomly or get headaches and feel dizzy.”
According to epilepsy.com, some forms of gymnastics are dangerous for children with the condition. However, each child is affected differently and considerations for each should be made accordingly.
In spite of her condition, George chooses to focus on progress and not perfection. She hopes to one day attend the likes of Julliard, Howard University or Spelman College where she can become a rhythmic gymnastics coach.
Follow Amina George on ooweesportsnation.com as she continues to navigate the demands of rhythmic gymnastics on the road to athletic success.