THUNDER BAY — After training in gymnastics for more than a decade, a local athlete will be attending division three NCAA college gymnastics.
Zara Reboks, a 17-year-old gymnast at Ultimate Gymnastics, will be headed to Gustavius Adolphus College, located an hour south in Minneapolis this fall.
“I started gymnastics in recreational classes when I was around four years old, and then I just started having a lot of fun from there and decided around a year ago to try to shoot for the goal of NCAA gymnastics,” she said.
Reboks said she was just having fun with the sport, trying to continue on for as long as she could, and realized NCAA could be an opportunity for her, then began shooting for that goal.
The challenge of the sport and continually overcoming fears was what kept Reboks loving gymnastics through the years.
“It just makes you feel really confident in yourself when you get over those, the overall really good feeling,” she said.
Reboks is planning to study exercise physiology, which is a four-year program.
“I'm so excited for this opportunity and to be able to experience the American college experience as an overall. I'm super excited to meet all the girls and just have a super fun season.”
Reboks competed in level 10 this season, and said college gymnastics is similar to level 10.
She competes in vault, bars, beam and floor.
At the college, “I believe it's around (one) meet each weekend for around 10 or so weeks, and my goal is just really to put up some clean routines and high scores for the team,” she said.
“I just want to thank my parents and all my coaches and the people who got me here today because it wouldn't be possible without them.”
Cheronne Viljoen, head coach at Ultimate Gymnastics, has been coaching Reboks for nine years.
“She went from a teeny tiny little thing that grew up into this amazing young lady that you see today.
“I couldn't be more proud of her. She deserves absolutely everything that's coming her way,” she said.
Viljoen said it’s exciting to be able to watch athletes grow in their sport.
“It's actually an honour and a privilege to see them go from tiny little babies and grow up into these amazing young women that can do anything that they want to do.”
Reboks is an extremely dedicated and hardworking individual, Viljoen said.
“I can count on one hand the amount of days that she's missed gymnastics for football games or birthday parties, sleepovers, things like that.
“She comes in here every day with a good attitude. She works hard. She's a wonderful team leader and example to our younger kids.”
Viljoen said with Reboks, if she sets a goal, and sets her mind to something, nothing can stop her.
“Coming from a little club in a little town, she is, as far as we can tell and have researched, the very first one to be able to make it into the NCAA for gymnastics. For her to break through the ceiling is very promising, it's very motivational for everyone that's looking up to her and for the gymnastics community in town.”
