Local gymnast to compete in Winter Games

Times Reporter

 

One Strathmore gymnast has shown she has what it takes to compete for a championship title at the Alberta Winter Games. Taylor Mathieu, 13, was in Red Deer competing for a spot earlier this month, and was fortunate to hear her hard work had paid off.  

“She is the zone champion for Strathmore, zone two, but ended up second overall in her grouping, which is P3,” said Michele Mathieu, Taylor’s mom. 

Taylor will compete in all four events – balance beam, bars, floor and vault. Michele said the games are interesting because as far as she knows they compete for two days, and Taylor will have to qualify for each event and then again for each round.

“Vault…because it’s my best,” said Taylor of her favourite event. 

Her least favourite thing about gymnastics is, “I don’t like the conditioning.” 

Shawn Johnson, an American gymnast who competed in the 2008 Olympics, is an idol of Taylors.

“Because she got second at the Olympics, and she’s always willing to try new things,” said Taylor. 

This is Taylor’s fourth year of competitive gymnastics and her seventh year overall learning the skill of the sport. She was competing against gymnasts aged 10 to 17, and to earn a spot in the Games is exciting for her and her family.

Only two people from each zone are picked, and at the Winter Games all eight zones from both Southern and Northern Alberta will compete against each other.

Though she originally began with Jumphouse Gymnastics, Taylor has moved on to compete with the Altadore Club in Calgary. Both mom and daughter spoke fondly of their time at Jumphouse, saying Taylor only left to try to bring her gymnastics to a different level. 

Krysta Van Verdegem, 12, is one of the girls Taylor trains with who also lives in Strathmore and competes out of the Altadore club. 

“She’s moved just about two levels in one year,” said Taylor. 

“She’s an amazing little gymnast,” said Michele. 

Though Van Verdegem won’t be competing in the Winter Games, both Taylor and Michele said she should be proud of increasing two levels in such a short amount of time and that she is very talented and a fast learner.  

“They both trained out here for many years in Strathmore but just decided that a move might do them good and help them achieve their goals for the future,” said Michele.

“They very much loved what happened at Strathmore gymnastics club, the girls, the coaches, it was just all a very positive thing.”

The Alberta Winter Games takes place in February from the 9 to 12 in Spruce Grove. In March Taylor will be heading to Montreal to compete in the international competition Gymnix.