Gymnast Tyde Cooper is looking forward to representing South Africa at the 2022 Slovenia World Cup in the Beam and Floor competition from 16-19 June, which will be her first senior international contest.
The 16-year-old boasts an impressive catalogue which she will be hoping to use to her advantage on the world stage.
Cooper has set a formidable foundation, which has seen her compete at the Olympic Hope Cup in Czech Republic as well as World Dance Star Championships in Croatia.
The TuksGymnastics student says she will be holding the South African flag high as she is humbled and privileged to be selected to represent the country.
Speaking with Tlamelo Kganakga, Cooper takes us back to how she fell in love with gymnastics and which women in sport inspire her.
Tyde, thank you for chatting to us. Please tell us about yourself.
I am a force to be reckoned with. My fierce determination and commitment are skills that not only enables me to reach my goals, but it is a force that allows me to focus and have fun. Tyde definitely comes in tides.
I am one of four children and come out of a family that is very supportive. They are differently my biggest fans. I am 16 years old, in my first year of Senior Olympic gymnastics and have been selected as one of the top senior national squad members for gymnastics in South Africa.
When and where did your love for sport begin?
Dance was a sport that I excelled in. I was privileged enough to win the solo mini acrobatic section at the World Dance Star Championships in Croatia. I loved to be upside down and the wrong side up. Acrobatic Sport was my passion and this is where my love for sport began.
What inspired you to get into gymnastics?
I joined TuksGymnastics to learn how to do side and front ariels to improve my dancing career. I spent more and more time in the gymnastics hall and before I knew it I fell in love with the sport.
What are the challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
A few years ago, I attended a training camp in Namibia and tore the ligaments in my foot during a training session. This was a very difficult time for me as gymnastics was my life. I had to mentally overcome this obstacle. I pushed through and still attended my daily training sessions to stay fit and engaged in my sport. This sport is tough and sometimes your competitions don’t always work out like you want them to. It has taught me that failure is part of the process and without failure there cannot be success
What are some of your career highlights to date?
2019
- Junior Olympic Women’s Artistic Gymnastics All Round Champion
- Selected to represent South Africa at the Olympic Hope Cup in Czech Republic
- Overall winner of #perfect10 showcase
- Gymnastics SA Best Junior Gymnast
- Gauteng North Best Junior Gymnast
2020
- Selected to represent South Africa at the Junior African Gymnastics Championships Cancelled due to covid
2021
- Selected to represent South Africa at the International Chinese Schools Games
- Cancelled due to covid regulations
- Achieved 2nd place in the Junior Olympic Women’s Artistic Gymnastics All Round
- Runner up of #perfect10 showcase
- Gauteng North best junior gymnast
- Receives federation colours from Gymnastics SA
2022
- Selected as part of the top Senior National Squad Members
Who are some of the sportswomen you admire and why?
Angelina Melnikova – She is a gymnast that perseveres and never gives up. She also suffered a hip injury and worked hard to come back and win a silver medal in the Olympic team event in Rio. She has taught me that even the best gymnasts in the world have bad days. You need to refocus, fight and work hard to achieve your goals and dreams. Never give up!
You will be competing at the 2022 Slovenia World Cup. Please tell us about that and what are you looking forward to?
This is my first World Challenge Cup as a senior Gymnast. I am very excited, and my goal is to have a clean competition and try and make finals. I will be competing on Beam and Floor. Slovenia is a beautiful country and I cannot wait to start my gymnastics journey. I will be holding the SA flag high as I am humbled and privileged to be selected to represent my country.
What’s your greatest ambition?
My greatest ambition is to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
How do you keep a balance between being a gymnast and student?
I am currently Home Schooled. I attend UCT Online High School. The program allows me to focus on my sport and academics. I am able to complete my schooling when I am not training. This flexibility is very important to me.
What do you think we as media can do to amplify women’s sport?
We need to give women sport a voice. Female athletes need support and this can be achieved by getting your local sporting community involved. Sport can empower women to create awareness about the things women face on a daily basis such as GBV. Equality in sport is becoming more important. Women need to have the same sport coverage as men.
How do you think we can close the visibility gap in gymnastics?
There is definitely a visibility gap in men’s gymnastics. The irony is that this is one of the few sports were this occurs. Recently in America there were universities that wanted to do away with the men’s program. Men’s gymnastics is exciting and more emphasis should be placed on the difficulty of skills and awareness should be created about men’s gymnastics.
What’s your advice to aspiring women in sport?
The most important thing about the sport is always to remember why you do the sport. My motto is to have fun. You must keep on trying and never give up.
Photo 1 Caption: Gymnast Tyde Cooper is looking forward to representing South Africa at the 2022 Slovenia World Cup in the Beam and Floor competition from 16-19 June, which will be her first senior international contest. Photo: Supplied
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