LEARNING WELL-BEING
TOKYO 2020 What We Learned from Artistic Gymnastics and How It Helped Us Through CSL By Rebecca Maw-Dzatkowski, Head Gymnastics Coach
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tarting a new school year online was never going to be an easy feat but as we near the end of Term 1, it is important to reflect on the good, the bad and maybe even the ugly! For many families, the summer break would have been very different to ‘normal’. Luckily, however, we all had Tokyo 2020 to provide some much-needed entertainment and inspiration! The buzz that came from watching athletes from around the world come together for a common cause was infectious and the uplifting stories and tales of athletes overcoming adversity was a major motivation boost. For me, joining Bangkok Patana School this past summer has been a great experience. Of course, it wasn’t the school start that I initially envisioned, and it certainly came with its challenges. Still, it has been important to remain optimistic and take away the positives from every situation. For example, my 10
• Bangkok Patana School
two-week hotel quarantine wasn’t the ideal summer holiday; however, I gained uninterrupted time to binge watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, particularly the Artistic Gymnastics events! The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) and Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) events were filled with jaw-dropping, gutwrenching moments, taking spectators through a whirlwind of emotions! The gymnastics world witnessed new young athletes establish themselves on the world stage as the ones to watch as well as seeing veteran gymnasts hanging up their handguards after their final competitive performance. Through all the ups and downs, lessons have been learned and history made. Let’s have a look at some of the key takeaways from Tokyo 2020 gymnastics and consider how these lessons helped the gymnastics community through lockdown number three and beyond!
