Beardy's teen leaps, twirls to new heights
- Katie Doke Sawatzky | May 21, 2017
When it comes to the dedication and commitment needed to excel in gymnastics, Sherice Penner has it in spades. Plus, it’s paying off.
The 13-year-old from Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation won All Around Winner in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics in the Level 3 category at the 2017 Saskatchewan Provincial Championships at the Saskatoon Field House on May 12.
Penner is a member of the Prince Albert Aerials Gymnastics Club. She’s been in the sport since she was four and started competing two years ago at the age of 11 in the Junior Olympics program.
“It pushes you,” Penner said. “It challenges me, my coach will push me as hard as I can go. I don’t know, it’s just fun for me.”
When it came to her performance at Provincials this year, Penner achieved exactly what she wanted.
“My goal was to place on the podium for overall,” she said.
Penner competes in four events: vault, uneven bars, beam and floor. She earned gold in floor and in bars, placed third in beam and fifth on the vault for a total score of 37.7, which was the top score that earned her award.
Gymnastics Canada and Gymnastics Saskatchewan have adopted the Junior Olympics program to provide competition for different ages and levels of ability. There are 10 levels and Gym Sask allows athletes in Level 3 and higher compete annually to qualify for the Provincial Championships.
Penner will move up to Level 4 this coming year, but her excellent skills may see her bump up to Level 6. The higher you move up, the more difficult the skills you do, like flips on the balance beam.
Penner’s mother Jade Penner is very supportive. She drives Sherice to Prince Albert for practices three to four times a week, a forty-minute ride from their home in Duck Lake. Penner trains 11 months of the year so it’s a big commitment for their family.
“It’d be different if we had to push her to force her to go, but like this week she’ll have a break … she’ll be dying to go,” Penner said. “She doesn’t like long breaks. When it comes to August after their month break in July, they’re set, they’re happy to go.”
The competitions themselves require travel too. The Penners have already travelled to Saskatoon twice and Calgary once this year, where Sherice earned Gold in all of her events in the 2017 University of Calgary International Cup.
Penner’s dedication to training is strong despite a few bumps along the way. She broke her arm twice before she started competing in the JO program and last summer she broke her toe on the beam.
“She still went,” her mother said. “She said, ‘There’s things I can do. I don’t have to do the flips, I can do cardio and conditioning,’” said Jade Penner.
Despite a busy schedule that limits hangouts on the weekends like sleepovers, the friends Penner has made in the Club help.
“They have that understanding with each other,” Penner said. “As well, as they do it because they want to.”
Sherice Penner’s goal is to compete in the higher levels, something she’ll no doubt achieve if this past year is any indication.