It runs in the family

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/05/2014 (4143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like mother, like daughter.

Maia Thomlinson is the 15-year-old daughter of Olympics gymnast Monica Goermann, who was inducted into Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (MSHF) in 1991. Goermann was a celebrated gymnast, and it looks like the apple doesn’t fall — or tumble — too far from the tree.

Thomlinson, a Fort Garry resident, was in Saskatoon, Sask. for the 2014 Western Canadian Gymnastics Championships from April 24 to 26, competing in the provincial level 5 open category. Thomlinson placed third all-around and was also part of the gold medal team in the team competition with Ashley Jolicoeur, Alex Empey, Cristina Doyle and Taylor Goodon.

Thomlinson scored 13.250 in vault, 11.600 on uneven bars, 12.400 on beam, and 13.900 on floor, for a total score of 51.150, making her place third all-around on the first day of the competition.

Thomlinson said those who placed in the top eight moved on to the second round the next day.

“It was my first time competing two days in a row, and that’s tough on your body,” Thomlinson said. “I had a couple of falls, but I was proud of my routine. When you finish it and feel like you performed well, it can still bring you joy even if you don’t do well.”
Thomlinson didn’t earn medals at any of the events, but she said she was just happy for the experience.

“It was my first Westerns,” Thomlinson said.

It may have been Thomlinson’s first time at the competition, but the gym is her second home. She recalled bouncing on trampolines at the age of two while her grandmother Elfriede Goermann — who used to coach Monica — was doing paperwork in the office.

Even with her mother’s background as an Olympic athlete, Goermann said she never felt an immense pressure to follow in her footsteps.

“She never puts the pressure on me. My parents just want me to do it because I love it,” Thomlinson said.

Goermann coached Thomlinson for a while when she was training at the Winnipeg Gymnastics Centre, but hasn’t since Thomlinson joined the Springers gymnastics team.

“She no longer coaches me, but she’s very supportive, and it’s fun to be able to talk things through. If I’m having trouble on a skill, I can talk out my frustration and she’ll try to help me through it,” Thomlinson said.

For a list of results from the 2014 Western Canadian Gymnastic Championships, visit http://www.sportzsoft.com/meet/meetWeb.dll/MeetResults?MeetId=227