Ntokozo Ramakau is Crawford International Ruimsig  Grade 6 learner who is part-taking in artistic gymnastics. We asked her a couple of questions to understand her background and a bit about the sport.

Ntokozo Ramakau

What is Artistic Gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus (Bar, Beam, Vaul and Floor). The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, which assigns the Code of Points used to score performances and regulates all aspects of elite international competition. Within individual countries, gymnastics is regulated by national federations such as the South African Gymnastics Federation. Artistic gymnastics is a popular spectator sport at many competitions, including the Summer Olympic Games, as we now seen in he recent 2024 Paris Olympics.  Artistic gymnastics has almost become synonymous with the name of the world champion in women artistic gymnastic – Symone Biles (she is Ntokozo Ramakau’s role model).

Background about Ntokozo

Ntokozo is an 11-year-old Grade 6 Crawfordian Student in Ms van Graan’s class here at Crawford International Ruimsig. She has been a learner here since Grade 1. She is the last born child to her parents and has one older brother (Kamohelo) who is now in Grade 12. She joined artistic gymnastics when she was three (3) years old back in Pretoria in a club called Centurion Gymnastics Centre (CGC). Now she belongs to Visions Gymnastics Academy based in Strubens Valley, Roodepoort. She has been doing the sport for about 9 years now.

What is next for you on this journey

Gymnastics is a progressive sport, where one advances to different levels of complexity (similar to our school system) – so currently she is doing Level-4. She has recently qualified as one of the gymnastics to represent our Province Gauteng in the National Gym Games to be hosted in Western Cape (Cape Town) during the school holidays (29 September 2024). Her goal is to place in the top three (3) in the different apparatuses. Her long term dream with the sport is that one day she can make it to the Olympics team to represent South Africa.

Message to other young people

Irrespective of the sport code one selected – it is important to dedicate one’s time and effort to excel. Learn as much as you can, and also teach those who might be struggling with what you are mastering – promote healthy competition. Gymnastics is fun, but I can assure you that not all the time – sometimes you just don’t feel like going, but what is important is that one keeps pushing through those hard days as the rewards are far sweeter.