Regional Championships, Southern District

Yesterday was the third and last qualification competition for the National Championships which are to be held in March. All things told, it was a reasonably relaxed day with only 45 participants, although there was the usual mix of tension and apprehension in play at any given moment.


For the participants these events are a make-or-break moment. There is just one chance to perform creditably and one mishap can ruin everything. One issue the youngsters face during their exercises is one of absolute trust, in themselves, in their trainers and in the good results they'll need to be bringing home.


Sometimes there's disbelief, sometimes there's the sinking feeling that what they've done is right on the edge, occasionally they scare the crap out of themselves when things go differently to how they'd planned. Disappointment is often followed by an encore of tears and the occasional tantrum, mostly there's just an (indignant) resignation when the outcome didn't meet expectations.


And so it goes. Life rarely goes according to plan, just to add a bit of excitement and drama along the way. Keep well...

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