NWU GYMNASTICS: VAULTING INTO ACTION

Ayola Gqotso & Makgala Folotsi 

@a.yola_gq & @Kgali_Lee

The North West University (NWU) offers a variety of sports and activities, some of which fly under the radar. For instance, gymnasticss.

According to the NWU website, the Potchefstroom campus offers five of nine different types of gymnastics, women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic, rhythmic gymnastics, tumbling, and trampoline. The team is led by students for students, any student is welcome to join the club, experienced or beginner. 

The gymnastics team had been on a steady rise, and were the reigning champions of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019. Due to COVID-19, that changed. Like many things after COVID, gymnastics was heavily impacted. There were more new gymnasts and no seniors to help lead, as most had finished university. When the club reopened for students, there was no one to pass on the traditions and ropes of the NWU gymnastics club.

Karabo Bila, a third-year marketing management student, shared his experience and views about NWU’s gymnastics, “l love everything that we have done ever since l joined the NWU gymnastics club, my journey to gymnastics started by doing calisthenics in my room back in high school and l guess l got inspired to try out gymnastics.” 

Bila has been doing gymnastics for two years and mentioned that his fellow gymnasts motivate him to do better: “I’m trying my best at gymnastics because of the other gymnasts and how supportive we are towards one another.” 

NWU’s gymnastics club is planning to compete in 2024. “We are competing in the inter-varsity competition at Stellenbosch as a way to keep up the traditions and rebuild the fire of university gymnastics in South Africa once again,” said Bila.

There are no formal criteria or try-outs for the gymnastics team. Anyone interested can join Mondays to Thursdays, building B6 at 18:00.