This is Rebekah, my beautiful 11 year old Grand daughter, I took this photo when we went to the coast for the day, she came running towards me just like this and I snapped. This is so much a picture of how she is, always relaxed, happy and such a thoughtful and yet very modest person. I can't help but be proud though, because in a couple of weeks she is off to Glasgow to represent her country in her sport. She is the youngest I think that they have ever had. She is on the British Team and will be competing with gymnasts from all over the world.She recently was asked how she felt about all this and they have quoted her modest words on the Durham City Council website which you can read for yourself here.
Rebekah trains everyday, she is very self disciplined and has to watch her weight, you see she is a top, that means in terms of Acrobatic Gymnastics that she is the one who has to climb on to her partners shoulders. She does sommersaults and allsorts from this precarious position. If she didn't watch her weight her partner wouldn't be able to lift her and do the very dangerous moves that they make together.
Rebekah has added problems, she is an anaphylactic which means she is highly allergic to lots of things including nuts. She also has other food intolerances which all in all make it really hard for her to watch what she eats. About a year ago she had another problem which affected her heel, quite a few young atheletes have this ailment but for weeks it meant that she had to train with pain to her heel and found it hard to land. She has exercise induced asthma too. All in all she has many problems but she overcomes all of them and carries on.
Now she has reached this very giddy height of representing her country. I just had to share this with you all. I'm just so very, very proud of her. Well done Rebekah and Nanny wishes you very good luck in your very special competition.
16 comments:
well done to Rebekah - no wonder you are proud!
btw: that beach looks cold! You dont see beaches here where there are people in the water while the ones sitting on the beach are wearing jumpers and jeans!
Thanks Paula,
Yes, I am proud, as proud as punch.
Oh, the beach day out was a good day really. My daughter got burnt, she is fair skinned though.
You are obviously not aquainted with our British weather, lol.
That is so funny, we are very accustomed to wearing warm clothes on the beach, especially as you get older, you have more sense or you get rheumatism, lol. The water here is rarely warm even on a warm day, you just have to harden yourself to it. This is a Southern beach too. The ones up North are positively icy.
Thanks for dropping by Paula,
I agree ..its not surprising you are so proud.
By the way..my machine is not a chain stitch one..but i know what you mean.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for dropping by, I did wonder whether your machine did the chain stitch, that's a shame, wouldn't it have been wonderful if it did?
Yes, I suppose you're right, it's just that it's so rare to have such feelings of sheer pride, you don't know what to do with them.
I did make a special gift for Rebekah when I heard that she got through and selected. I made her a very special wall hanging which simply says: "Follow your dreams," and she loves it, so at least I have done something with all these proud feelings! Thanks again Tricia.
Congratulations to Rebekah and her proud Nanny.
Thanks Jean, for dropping by and wishing us both well done. Cheers Tricia
I bet she gets her talent from her grandmother Tricia.
It sounds like she is passionate about her dreams, this is fantastic at such a young age. Congratulatins to Rebekah.
xteresa
Hi Teresa,
It's funny you say that, I can't take credit for her flexibility but she has great artistic skill in the way she performs, she is a natural as far as that goes, that part I think she probably gets from my side of the family.
Thanks for dropping by Teresa and thanks for the warm wishes. Tricia
Hi
My daughter was a gymnast and I used to coach it many many years ago so I do know how much work and dedication goes into achieving any level let alone representing at national level.
Cheers
Hi Shirley,
I wonder if you coached in Durham, that's where my Grand daughter trains, it would be a coincidence wouldn't it?
Yes, there is an awful lot of dedication involved as you know.
The type of gymnastics my grand daughter practices needs a heck of a lot of concentration too. It is such a dangerous sport, there's no room for error. Not when a young 15 year old is throwing an 11 year old up in the air to do a mid air sommersault from her shoulders and then be caught again by this same 15 year old.
For people who don't know about Acro it means acrobatic, so it is very much like circus skills. Sometimes I have found it difficult to watch because I know one false move and it could be very very serious.
We are very proud of Rebekah, more so because she is not a show off and takes it all in her stride. It's funny, because she isn't really impressed with winning medals, all she cares about is what new moves she can try. She has won loads of them but it isn't important to her at all.
I suppose we are biased but then I think Grand Parents are allowed to be aren't they?
Thanks for dropping by Shirley, let me know if you coached in Durham, I would be interested to know. Tricia
Found you! Thanks so much for the comment you left on my blog re the squash. Couldn't figure out how to contact you, but thought (hoped) this might work? THere really isn't a secret I don't think. I live in Canada (southern Ontario) and this year we had a lot of rain, so maybe that was it. We also shred a lot of our fall leaves and garden waste and put them back into the soil. Plus we don't plant them in the same place as we did the past couple of years. I don't know if they are good hints, but that's pretty much all we do!
Cheers
Mary Anne
Thanks for the recipe...looking forward to trying it!
Cheers
Mary Anne
Quite something to be proud of, and looking at her she must be such a joy to be around!
Hope the Norwegian autumn colors I posted bring you inspiration to make some beauties!
Hi Ingermaaike,
Thank you yes, Rebekah is a joy to be around, she is just like her Mum, in her nature, who always does what she can for anyone.
I am still waiting for the golden time here, it is about to happen but the leaves on most of our trees are still green at present. I am waiting to go out with my camera and a bag to collect some lovely leaves.
Thanks for dropping by Tricia
hi saw your comment by Teresa and you're a wonderful person, and I love your art.. yvette
Thank you Yvette for dropping by and thank you also for the lovely remarks. I also follow your blog and I love your felt pieces too. Cheers Tricia
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