At just 22 years of age, South African artistic gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz already bears the huge responsibility of carrying the sport and the country to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This is a burden the University of Johannesburg marketing and management student has vowed to take in her stride.
Rooskrantz was among the first 39 athletes unveiled this week by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee to represent Team SA at the Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital.
She has already carried the country’s Olympic dream not once but twice, after appearing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was one of two black gymnasts on the team.
Rooskrantz also attained success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she made history by becoming only the second female SA gymnast to clinch a medal. Her feat followed that of Jennifer Khwela, who won silver at the 2010 Delhi Games.
“Over the past few years, I realised that I carry a lot of responsibility for being at the forefront of the sport, but I just really try to take it in stride and look at it as something really positive, that I am the beacon of change and hope in the sport,” Rooskrantz told Sunday World on the sidelines of this week’s announcement of the Olympic team.
“I obviously could not do this without my team because they have pushed me forward.
“When I was coming up, for the longest time, I didn’t think qualifying for the Olympics was possible because I never saw it happen,” said the petite Johannesburg based athlete.
“So, I just want to be a good representative and role model to young girls, [to show them] that dreams are just never too big,” she added.
Rooskrantz’s gymnastics journey started 14 years ago, at age eight, when she fell in love with a predominantly white sport that is not popular or available in many black or coloured communities.
