Young gymnast already a force to be reckoned with

Posted on: J A McRae

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
 
She may be new to competing but gymnast Montana Fairbairn, a Westmount Elementary student, is already showing she shouldn’t be taken for granted. 
The somewhat shy gymnast began training when she was four years old, and now at nine, has had a chance to participate in two competitions. 
The first competition took place Jan. 21 in Edmonton and the second was in Red Deer on Feb. 4. 
At the Edmonton competition she placed first place on floor, second on beam, third on vault, seventh on the uneven bars and first place all around champion. 
In Red Deer’s competition was a similar story: first on floor, second on beam, fifth on the uneven bars and first place all around champion. 
“I just wanted to go out there and show them my moves, and have fun and do my best,” said Fairbairn when asked if she thought she would do so well her first few times out. 
Fairbairn trains out of the Stampede City Gymnastics Club in Calgary, and has since the beginning. Practicing her floor routine is one of her favourite events, “because I like to dance and tumble.”
The only thing she can say she doesn’t like about her chosen sport is the flexibility training. 
“Somebody can be flexible and they’re powerful, but they are not like really, really powerful, and I am powerful but not very flexible,” said Fairbairn.
“When we went to Calgary I expected her to get up to this level,” said mom Jaime Fairbairn.    
“Gymnastics they move fast, but it’s a lot. Now the amount of scholarships that they have in the States, like a couple of our gymnasts got full-ride scholarships to the States so it’s kind of nice in that sense.”
She said the organizers make the meet (competition) fun and everyone gets to walk away with something, even if it was a goodie bag. 
Montana will also have a chance to show off her skills when she participates in the Kyle Shewfelt Gym Fest in March, and she will be heading to Montreal later this year to compete in the International Gymnix competition. Fairbairn is the only pre-novice from her club who will be going, and she is excited. Her goal is to one day make it into the Olympics.