Saltos Athletics hosted its fifth annual Invitational Event in Perth on April 14 and 15, resulting in 17 athletes confirmed as qualifying for internationals to be held in Phoenix, Arizona this summer.
“This invitational event is a great opportunity for our less-experienced athletes to become more comfortable in front of a panel of judges,” explains Saltos Coach Louise Miller. “At the same time, the judges can evaluate our competitive athletes who are striving for future competition. They receive valuable feedback and suggestions that helps them to reach their goals, and those that are pre-approved can be assessed for competing internationally.”
Thirty-seven Saltos athletes from all levels represented Perth. Sixteen athletes represented Brantford Gymnastics and 35 came from World Class Gymnastics in Hamilton (they will be announcing their qualifying athletes at a later time).
One of the highlights of the event is the slate of international judges who attend:
- Dale Duncan from the United States began competing in 1990 and has 14 national and international medals to his credit. As a coach, he has worked one-on-one with hundreds of athletes.
- Holly Abraham was part of the first group of aerobic gymnastics judges at the inaugural International Gymnastics Federation coaches and judges course in 1995 and has played an integral role in the development of the sport in several countries.
- Lynne Smiley is actively involved in various levels of judging and as a volunteer member on several Gymnastics Ontario committees. She has been instrumental in the development of Aerobic Gymnastics at the grass roots level and has authored several resources for the sport.
Saltos athletes also had an opportunity to take part in one-on-one training with Duncan as part of the event. “The training camp gives our Canadian Aerobic Gymnastics athletes a chance to develop their routines for international-level competition with a highly qualified judge and International expertise,” Miller added. “We are grateful to all of our judges for their continued support of our gym, our athletes and the sport.”
Saltos athletes are now busy preparing for the Aero Ontario Championships and Invitation in Toronto from June 1 to 3.
The national team will train over the summer in preparation for the 29th Annual International Aerobic Championship in Phoenix at the end of July. Watch for fundraisers over the coming months in support of athletes heading to this renowned international event hosted by the Association of National Aerobic Championships.