Teamwork triumphs: (From left) Ee Shuen, Trisha, Jay Wen, Chan, Elodie, Puah, Angel, Cheyelle and Lee.
STRENGTH in numbers is evident in team sports, but how a team handles setbacks – especially at critical moments both on and off the field – reveals just how strong and united they truly are.
The group exercise team from the Federal Territories (FT) rhythmic gymnastics squad recently epitomised collective strength and unity by bouncing back from setbacks at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024.
In rhythmic gymnastics, group exercise refers to a routine performed by a team of five gymnasts who work together to execute synchronised movements and formations using an apparatus.
With their resilience and tenacity, they contributed a gold medal to the overall FT squad, which achieved a clean sweep of all seven gold medals in the various rhythmic gymnastics events held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Sarawak from Aug 17 to 19.
The “crisis” for the group exercise team began when a member fell ill during podium training, which was the official practice session before the competition.
For Sukma 2024, the final rankings of the group exercise event were determined by the cumulative scores of two routines: the five hoops on Aug 18 and the 10 clubs on Aug 19.
In the five hoops routine, the core team members were Trisha Ng Xue Wen, Cheah Elodie, Lim Jay Wen, Low Ee Shuen and Angel Wong Poe Syuen, with Cheyelle Cheah as the reserve.
When Angel was admitted to a hospital on Aug 17, Cheyelle was called upon to step in for the event.
Being notified to be on standby just a day before the competition was nerve-wracking, but the 13-year-old took it in stride and focused on perfecting her synchronisation with the team.
“There wasn’t much time to let it sink in, but I knew I just had to face it and do my best,” she told StarEdu, adding that her months-long preparation – where she practised each member’s part – proved invaluable.
She said the trust and support among the team and coaches gave her the confidence to perform well, ultimately helping them secure a strong lead going into the 10 clubs event.
She also credited team captain Trisha for keeping the team’s morale high.
Angel too embraced the team spirit. On Aug 19, she rejoined the line-up for the 10 clubs routine alongside Trisha, Elodie, Cheyelle and Ee Shuen, with Jay Wen as the reserve.
Angel said she still needed medical attention at the time but was determined to compete out of “a sense of responsibility”.
“I didn’t want to let my team, coaches or FT down.
“I kept telling myself that if I fully focused, any sense of dizziness or illness would disappear, and everything would go as we practised,” the 13-year-old said.
Trisha shared that once their routine ended, the team, along with their coaches Chan Mei Thung and Jaclyn Puah Hoay Way, and FT team manager Clarissa Lee, embraced one another.
“Tears of joy welled up in our eyes, and our coaches too. It was an incredible feeling to realise how far we had come together,” she said.
In the end, with a total score of 48.300 – 23.900 for the five hoops and 24.400 for the 10 clubs – the team secured the gold medal.
Reflecting on their success, Trisha said the team’s unity was key.
“We placed our trust in one another and united with one heart to face the challenges head-on,” the 15-year-old said.
Trisha expressed the team’s gratitude for the support of the FT Sports Council, their coaches and their families, who were all instrumental in their journey.
“As we stood on the podium, a wave of pride washed over us.
“We felt that every hardship we faced – from injuries to mental pressure and stress – was worth it as we achieved our goal of bringing home the gold.
“A gold that resulted from our fighting spirit and teamwork,” she said.
Hoi Kei, 22, a student in Kuala Lumpur, 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.
