Hard work pays off: Qi Yang posing with his medals at a recent competition.
WHEN he was four, Kua Qi Yang enrolled in artistic gymnastics lessons – a decision made by his mother, who introduced the sport to her three children.
In her younger years, she had been interested in artistic gymnastics but had not had the opportunity to pursue it.
That decision has proved fruitful for the now 16-year-old Qi Yang.
“Artistic gymnastics has helped me to build my confidence and to manage my time efficiently. It has also improved my stamina and shaped me into an athletic person,” the student from Puchong, Selangor, told StarEdu.
Since he began competing at the age of nine, he has gradually gained recognition as a gymnast. Last year, he participated in the District Schools Sports Council competition and secured third place in the vault event.
Recently, he won second place overall at the National Sirkit Remaja Men’s Artistic Gymnastics competition, taking home six medals: two gold, one silver and three bronze – his biggest achievement this year.
“The experience was new and quite tense, but I had a great time at the competition.
“Winning gold medals is what I have always aimed for. I will work even harder to pursue my dream of representing Malaysia one day,” he said.
To improve his skills as a gymnast, the Form Four student trains three days a week.
Even though performing a series of dynamic swings, handstands, flips and more is far from easy, he said it has not diminished his determination to master artistic gymnastics.
“It would be impossible to give up after years and years of building my strengths,” he added.
Qi Yang credited his coach Siew Han Chong for fuelling his motivation to excel.
“He always encourages and motivates me to keep working hard,” he said.
Qi Yang added that his family also continuously supports and motivates him.
“I am thankful for my parents’ support and don’t want to let them down,” he said, adding that his older sisters, who now coach younger artistic gymnasts, offer him moral support and advice.
He shared that he also draws inspiration from Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura, who won six consecutive world championships from 2009 to 2015.
Qi Yang encouraged fellow students to take part in sports, as it “gives them a healthier body and a fresher mind”.
He said gender is not an issue in artistic gymnastics.
“There are many other boys who train to be artistic gymnasts together with me, so I encourage both boys and girls to actively take part in this sport,” he said.
To those unfamiliar with the sport, he had this to say: “Artistic gymnastics is fun. It really challenges you to test your strength, and there are various skills worth trying.
“It’s not as hard as you think it is. If you give it a try, you might even develop a liking for this sport.”
Jeanne, 16, a student in Selangor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
