Young gymnast, Emmanouela Frroku from Sydney continues to climb up the ranks in the Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics arena in Australia.
Only a few days ago the talented Greek Australian from Sydney, was officially selected to be part of the Juniors Rhythmic Gymnastics National Squad, which will be representing Australia in the international competitions of 2022.
Arguably one the most beautiful sports in the world, rhythmic gymnastics is also incredibly demanding, as the athletes have to be in their best physical form to perform their whole act within minutes, as they leap, run, contort, and flip tossing their different apparatuses in the air, whilst staying tuned to the beat of the music.
Not one to shy away from all the hard work, the determined 14-year-old trains on average four hours a day, after school, still managing to stay on top of her studies, whilst painstakingly practicing, even in her home during the lockdown in NSW, to achieve the effortless grace and fluidity required of this sport.
Her dream is to one day perform in the Olympics, and representing Australia in the National Squad is one step closer to realising that dream.
Emmanouela first started rhythmic gymnastics when she was five years old, in Greece, where she was born. Before her ninth birthday she had already won her first medal, a bronze in the Greek national competitions.
Within the first year of the Frrokou family’s migration to Australia, Emmanouela managed to win first place at the Australian National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships (2017), before climbing the ranks to become NSW State Champion in 2019.
“Our first priority, when we moved to Australia, was to find a club for her to continue practicing this sport, as she was doing so well in Greece,” her mother, Athanasia Delinicolis tells Neos Kosmos, adding that her daughter loves rhythmic gymnastics so much, that she never wants to give it up.
Ms Delinicolis explains how lucky they have been with Le Ray Academy in NSW, her amazing coach there, Katie Mitchell Sigsworth, and her Greek coach, Greek National All-around Champion, Varvara Filiou, with whom she also trains daily through zoom.
“It really is a beautiful sport and so impressive,” she adds. “But behind all that glitter and shine, there is a very hard training regime that requires a lot of dedication.”
Earlier this year, in March, Emmanouela was part of the NSW team that won the gold medal in the Australian State championship for 2021.
The only thing certain is that a bright future awaits the disciplined and talented teenager, who along with the sport, loves to travel to all the places and countries she trains and competes in.
Photos: Supplied
