Maren, my 8-year-old niece takes great delight in doing artistic gymnastics. Two years ago she joined the local gymnastics club in her hometown Salzburg and started doing gymnastics once a week. Last year she was asked to join the Austrian All-State first team and took part in a competition for the first time – it gave her great pleasure and she wanted more...

Her coach had nominated her for the Austrian championship that took place on the last October weekend 2010. Accompanied by her Mom, her little brother Raphael, her grandmas, Cousin Felix and her Aunty she entered the sports hall where crowds of 6- to 15-year-old girls were already busy on the different apparatus.

Maren appeared to be really calm but also a bit lost in view of the crowd – she had never been to such a big event. Her coach made her feel secure and it was fascinating to watch how our little one changed when she came near one of the apparatus. Already during her warm-up I discovered something marvellous: Maren was suddenly oblivious of everything around her and there were merely she and her routine. She was all focus – thank you Maren for showing me so clearly ?.