Tweet After driving for two-and-a-half hours from the gridlocked Johannesburg to Klerksdorp, a small rural town in the north west of South Africa, we accepted we were lost.
In the end, an elderly lady had to escort us to a place few know. Luckily, we found the year-old Legote warming up with four girls, between the ages of six and This is one of the few competitions standing between Legote and her qualification for the Rio Olympic Games. You must compete and compete because you improve in each competition. For Legote, a second year sports management student at Centurion Academy Sports, the lack of money to compete regularly is a major challenge.
Legote first represented her country at the Junior Olympics in Australia in Despite being the youngest competitor in her category, with only two years in the sport, Legote won two gold medals and a bronze. Her three teammates in Australia are no longer involved in the sport because they lacked support.
She scored above 15 in all four of the apparatus — ball, club, ribbon and hoop. I improved. I know I can sustain that feat and reach the 19s. Lavrentchouk-Vizer agrees. She says Legote is a rare talent because she started at the age of 11, which is late for gymnastics. The ideal age is six. Grace is lucky because her body can go on for another three to five years.
Whether she makes it or not, that also depends on the support she gets from her trainers and sponsors. Legote trains for four hours a day, six days a week.
