Amazing Azariah

She’s ten-years-old and has been participating in gymnastics for the past four years.

Azariah Gordon, of Couva, usually enters the Caribbean Classic hosted by Olympia Gymnastics Club, Tots and Tumblers’ We Flippin and TT Gymnastics Federation’s National Invitational Championships.

In April, she competed out of the country for the first time in the Barbados Gymnastics Invitational with participants from clubs in Barbados, TT and Jamaica. There, the TT team placed second, and she placed third overall in the Level II category.

So far Azariah has won 15 medals and trophies. She intends to get that number up to the hundreds and she’s well on her way as she recently graduated to Level III.

Azariah began gymnastics as an extra curricular activity in pre-school at age four. Her mother, Kelseya Gordon, said the gymnastics teacher told the principal Azariah had potential and asked permission for her to go to a pre-school competition. Without any preparation, she placed second in her first competition.

Although she stopped after pre-school, Azariah and her cousins would watch gymnasts on television and try to imitate their moves. She kept begging her mother to return to gymnastics until eventually Kelseya found a club in Longdenville, Chaguanas.

“I saw a sign for this club (Gymnastics Explorers Club) so when she was five, going on six, we joined here,” said Kelseya.

Azariah's dream is to go the Olympics.

“I know it’s hard work but I still want to do it... I want to be like Simone Biles from the US team. She’s strong and she’s just inspiring with her muscles and flexibility.”

Azariah started in the recreational gymnastics class but her coach and co-owner of the club, Johanna Simon, invited her to join the competitive team coached by national gymnast, Thema Williams.

When she found out Williams would be her new coach Azariah screamed with excitement. “She’s more strict and isn’t playful like the other coaches. Once she says to do something you must do it but I don’t mind because she will help me get better.”

Gymnastics is easy, Azariah said, but finds it difficult at times, especially when she falls and has to get back up and do an exercise again. “My favourite event is uneven bars because you can swing around like a monkey. I kind of like floor but not that much because the routine is kind of long and your arms always have to be in the air and I get tired. I like the balance beam more than floor but vault is my weakest.”

Azariah wants to improve on all her events and eventually do gymnastics professionally. She loves the sport because she is able to exercise, meet new people, win trophies and medals and make her parents happy.

As a standard three student of Montrose Government Primary School, Azariah has been able to balance gymnastics and schoolwork. She usually gets B grades and wants to attend Holy Faith Convent but is worried about the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination because the class work would be harder.

She is also concerned she would have to stop competing and cut down on her gymnastics classes for a year before SEA to be able to handle the workload. However, Kelseya said, “We always tell her, ‘You do whatever it takes for you to get there, you show us that you want it, and your dad (Mark Gordon) and I will figure it out.’”

In addition to gymnastics, Azariah likes hip hop dancing, which she gets to incorporate in the floor event, mathematics, and wants to be a pilot.