Toto Santiko Budi

Like many children, Averyl Baline Mattahati, 13, has been learning from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Averyl, better known as Ave, does more than just studying subjects through her tablet; she also practices gymnastics.

Ave has won many medals from competitions, including one held in Singapore. She is working on mastering four disciplines: the floor exercise, balance beam, uneven bars and vault.

One day, she opened her tablet to join a gymnastic training session with her coach and fellow members of the Gavrila Gymnastics Club in South Tangerang, Banten.

The coach closely watched Ave and other team members as they performed a series of gymnastic moves. He quickly noticed some imperfections and reminded the athletes to correct their errors.

Training at home was a bit challenging for Ave. While doing moves that require jumping, her feet land painfully on the very thin mat between her and the hard floor. 

Ave said she missed training in the spacious hall of the Gavrila Gymnastics Club, where she has access to a complete set of gymnastics equipment and can socialize with friends.

Ave was supposed to compete in Bangkok in March, but the event was canceled due to the novel coronavirus. Nevertheless, Ave has kept her spirit up during the challenging time by continuing her gymnastics training. [yps]