Ottawa trio to represent Team Ontario in acrobatic gymnastics competition
To be the best you have to train like the best, and that’s exactly what one acrobatic gymnastics trio is doing in Ottawa.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"We have to make sure everything is perfect, neat and tidy and you have to have the facial expressions," said 9-year-old gymnast Lila Lawson.
Lila and her trio are getting ready to head to Kelowna, B.C. next weekend to represent Team Ontario at a national gymnastics competition.
It’s been an exciting season for the 9-year-old, who is among the youngest in the province to compete at her level.
"It’s really fun because even though you know you’re one of the younger ones, it doesn’t mean that you can’t beat them," she said.
For Lila, it’s all about hard work and determination. She’s a two-time provincial champion and it’s only her second season competing in acrobatic gymnastics.
"Lila, Gabby and Chelsea compete at level 7 of the USDP program. That level is the first level that has eligibility to the Canadian Championships," said head coach Stephanie Dovigi.
It’s a sport slowing gaining momentum in Ontario and across the country.
"In some respects, acro is the oldest discipline of gymnastics and yet in many cases it’s also one of the newest competitive disciplines," said Dovigi.
Dovigi says acrobatic gymnastics is unique as it brings traditional artistic gymnastics on a floor with tumbling elements with a twist.
"There's also elements that people associate with things like Cirque du Soleil with balance elements and handstands and also elements of what people can associate with cheerleading," Dovigi said.
Even though it’s their first season competing together, the trio is already bringing home top medals.
"[Provincials] was really fun. We had our highest score and it was just so exciting to watch us perform," said Lila.
While acrobatic gymnastics is not an Olympic sport, there are 19 athletes who compete at Stittsville’s Olympia Gymnastics, up from seven in 2019.
"A few more clubs in the GTA and Niagara Falls, mostly Fort Erie, started a club recently and they’ve been growing their programs trying to get a bigger presence for acro in Ontario and Canada," said gymnast, Baylee Christink.
With all their recent success, there is no telling how far they will go.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Purolator truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. save man walking in Hwy. 407 lanes
A pair of Purolator transport truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. are being hailed as heroes for their efforts in helping a person in crisis.
Trudeau responds to American senators calling on Canada to increase defence spending
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.