GYM Brasil – Gymnastics Festival, Nova Friburgo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been meaning to put up a post about a surprise, very pleasant surprise, that we attended two weekends ago.  Camillo and I were invited to join Tatiana (She was my Portuguese instructor now a friend here in Friburgo) to go and watch her partner, Paulista, in a display of gymnastics by a group in which he instructs and participates.

 

We have known this couple for maybe 5 years. I have known that he goes to do demonstrations with this group the full 5 years. I know that he has gone to Europe and to the USA and often participates in local competitions, but I never taken the time to really know about what he does.

We went in separate cars incase we got tired and wanted to leave early. We had NO CLUE! We stayed to the very last minute and can’t wait for the next invitation.

 

 

This demonstration opened like a mini Olympics. There were 25 groups - 700 people in all. They all marched out onto the gymnasium floor, each group in individually colored uniforms, each caring a flag that represented their group. The National anthem was played to a Brazilian flag rising from the floor to high above the heads of the participants as they assembled on the floor. As in all Brazilian meetings, they sang 3 or 4 versus of the anthem. Even I had a lump in the throat. All these young people, so proud to be there, so proud to represent Brasil and their towns. These groups represented the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul, and one group had come all the way from Chile. Only INEC, Paulista’s group was from Friburgo. (Featured in the Green and yellow uniforms.)

The tournament included displays of acrobatic, aerobic, rhythmic, trampoline gymnastics and solo. There were also presentations of folklore dancing. I couldn’t find the age groups represented but I think there were some from around 3 years old to 70.

I kept saying, “I should be out there…..”

 

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It was apparent that all these children and the adults had worked very hard. They took pride in doing the routines just right. They all received medals and some groups - including Nova Friburgo’s INEC - are classified and able to take part in the Gymnaestrada Mundial in Switzerland in 2011. As of yet, there are no plans for presenting at the Olympics in 2016.

Some of the other groups.

      

   

  

I was sorry that some of the photo were not optimum, I was up in the bleachers, using telephoto and no flash, I took 200 thousand-gazillion photos but can’t show you all of them…. I kept thinking this is the best of our children – our future.

 

If you like there are videos of INEC ( Paulista's presentations) on YouTube. here are the links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZFC6DdqdhU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB8zMgGqylM&feature=related ( this one is not called ECOAR, but TEKOA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZzpOO8BPyg

 

 

 

Paulista -