GYMNASTICS: She may be the youngest and possibly smallest member of the Australian Youth Olympic Team (AYOT) heading to China next week but Tara Wilkie has big dreams.
At just 14 years of age Wilkie will leap, jump and lunge her way onto the world stage for Australia as a Rhythmic Gymnast at the second summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing.
The year nine student says her age does not phase her one bit.
“I have never thought about being the youngest member of the Australian team, I have only ever focused on my goals,” the New South Welshman said.
“I feel it’s an honour and a privilege to be able to represent my country - I remember the feeling from the Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney, words can’t describe it!”
In preparation for the Games, Wilkie and her coach Ms Delia Halmu have set up camp in Romania.
“The purpose of this trip firstly is to train in a very focused environment without distractions and secondly I was given the opportunity to train with another girl that has been also selected for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games,” the teenager said.
Getting an inside peek at the competition, Wilkie has been training with Romanian YOG competitor Ana Luiza Filiorianu and has also had the opportunity to train with another top gymnast, Alexandra Piscupescu, who will be attending the World Championships later this year.
“Ana is a great gymnast who is very focused, not to mention a nice person to train with,” Wilkie said.
“Training with someone like Ana really inspires me and pushes me to go further and achieve my goals.”
Training five hours a day, five days a week, Wilkie says her preparations are coming along nicely and she is feeling strong and ready with the Games just around the corner.
“My coach and I feel confident I have had a solid preparation for the YOG,” the young star said.
“My aim is to achieve top 10, and my coach thinks that's attainable but [Ms Delia] would also like a top 8 finish - my thoughts are nothing is impossible.”
Having been involved in gymnastics since the age of three, Wilkie is a seasoned and experienced gymnast which was demonstrated in the Oceania Qualifying event in Auckland, where she scored an all-round score of 44.1, 5.3 points clear of her closest competitor.
With her gymnastics career on the rise, Wilkie also has a performing gene coursing through her body.
“My future aspirations for rhythmic gymnastics are to keep on improving and developing my skills to be best I can be,” she said.
“After my gymnastic career, I possibly could transfer my skills into becoming a solo performing artist, and follow in my dad’s footsteps and perform in the entertainment industry in shows like Cirque du Soleil and Las Vegas.”
Wilkie’s father Robert is her biggest fan, having been to every one of her competitions since the age of four.
“As a parent, I feel that it’s my duty to expose Tara to as much opportunity as I can, then to support and guide her in whatever direction she chooses,” Mr Wilkie said.
“Words cannot describe how proud I am of Tara, not only as an amazing athlete, but as the beautiful person she’s developing into.”
Wilkie is the only Australian Rhythmic Gymnast heading to China.
The YOG runs for 12 days from the 16th-28th of August with the Rhythmic Gymnastics events taking place on Days 10 and 11 at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, Nanjing.
Laura Judd
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam
