Niverville teen Isaiah Klassen, 14, recently competed in the T&T Western Canada Cup in Calgary, a gymnastics competition that took place over the May long weekend. This was Klassen’s fourth time competing at the event.
Out of 260 athletes, Klassen placed twelfth overall and was the highest scoring male competitor.
“I always try to have a good time and not worry so much about the competition and try to make sure others are having fun too,” Klassen says.
The provinces that compete are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Manitoba, with a single team of six competitors, has the smallest number of gymnasts overall. Alberta has 11 teams with 141 athletes.
For males competitors, the categories are based on skill level, not age. The levels are rated one to four, with four being the highest level. Klassen competed at level four in one event with gymnasts as old as 16.
Klassen competed in trampoline, double-mini trampoline, and tumbling.
Once gymnasts reach level four, they can attempt something called mobilizing, which means they can attempt to earn a high enough score to move on to level five in that event. If they succeed, they’re able to compete at a national level the following year.
Klassen mobilized on his first attempt on the double-mini trampoline. Next year, he will compete at the national level for that event—an impressive achievement, especially considering the circumstances.
“The day before I left, I got an injury,” Klassen says. “I was jumping on the double-mini trampoline, getting ready for a skill, when bam! All my muscles tensed in my upper back and hurt so much. I wasn’t even able to lift my arms up… Turns out I had pulled a triangle of muscles in my upper back.”
Team Manitoba travels together and stays together for the duration of the competition.
Klassen’s parents and two siblings drove out to watch him compete. “We’re always very proud of Isaiah,” his mom Michelle says. “He works hard, trains hard, perseveres, and has a talent for it. All those mixed together pay off. It’s thrilling to see the joy that comes out of him during competition, and that’s win or lose.”
Klassen dedicates many hours a week to work his gymnastics skills, and this past year he also served for the first time as a junior coach.
As for his future in gymnastics, Klassen says, “Well, I don’t know if I’ll end up in the Olympics, but it definitely is an extreme hobby of mine and I hope to get a lot more good years out of it.”
