Marisa’s meteoric rise

For 18-year-old Marisa Dick, she has embraced the solitude and dedicated her time and talent to the sport.

It has not gone to waste. Last Sunday, Marisa, boasting both Canadian and Trinidad and Tobago citizenship, wrote her name in the history books by becoming the first gymnast from this country to qualify for the Olympics. Barring any legal battle, she will don the red, white and black at the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil.

Despite the controversy of replacing Thema Williams on the eve of the 2016 Olympic Test Event in Rio, Marisa is still revelling in her historic feat.

“I feel incredible. It’s a crazy accomplishment.

I am just really proud that I can represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympics,” she declared in an interview with Newsday Sports on Friday.

Marisa, the 2015 gymnastics nominee for the prestigious First Citizens Sportswoman of the Year, is enjoying the love she has been getting from some quarters but still feels somewhat slighted by the silence of important stakeholders.

“It’s been great (to get) recognition and I have had some support coming my way so that’s been really good just to hear from Trinidad and Tobago that they are proud that I’m representing them at the Olympics. I have not yet heard from the Minister of Sport (Darryl Smith) for congratulations or recognition for my accomplishment or the TTOC (Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee),” she revealed.

Nevertheless, her qualification to the Olympics is the culmination of a long and arduous road which started at age two when she competed at the Parent and Tots programme at St Albert Gymnastics Club in St Albert, Canada.

Losing her father David, at age five, it did not get easier for Marisa who has had to lean tremendously on her Trinidadian mother Hannifer to provide that support a young athlete needs.

“My mom is giving me great support.

She travels all over the world with me and she’s always there by my side pushing me. She’s always very supportive. When I was five years old, my dad passed away so my mom has been really supportive and been there for me. I was really young when it happened so I don’t think I really understood what was happening but we’ve had a lot of family support,” she explained.

Losing her father at a tender age, Marisa stayed focussed and obsessed with gymnastics, not letting anything distract her. Training six days a week at the Ortona Gymnastics Club, Edmonton, Canada, for over 22 hours, she yearned for glory in gymnastics.

“It does take sacrifice, you spend the majority of your free time in the gym so making friends at school is a little bit more tough and being social with other people outside of the gym, just because you don’t have the time to do so.

But it’s definitely worth it, all the hours you put in, when you go to a competition and see big results, it shows you that all the hard work it means something.” Her training has certainly been rewarded as the past few months have seen Marisa make a meteoric rise in the world of gymnastics. In February, she was immortalised by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) who officially recognised her signature move which she executed with perfection at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow.

The move involves a springboard- to-split mounting of the balance beam and according to Marisa, excited the crowd at last Sunday’s final Olympic qualifier.

“I started on vault and it went well then moved along to bars. It was a good routine and I had no falls, just a few hand stands but it was a good routine. There were minor deductions and then I went to beam, it was really solid and I landed my mount which was named after myself. Then I went to floor and had a really nice, clean routine and landings. “My beam (routine) was the best. There was a lot of clapping and the crowd lit up once I landed it. They did (know about it), most people know about it through circulation of the internet.” Although no one dared replicate a move she took a few years to perfect, Marisa said she would feel honoured to see another gymnast try it in Rio later this year.

“I would love someone to do it.

That would be so exciting just to see somebody else try it. It is tough and it’s a hard skill to learn but it would be really exciting to see somebody complete it,” she said.

Balance is significant in one’s success as a gymnast and Marisa believes the same is needed in her life currently. The Olympic-bound athlete is looking forward to college and believes in balancing her school work with gymnastics which has a shelf life.

“Right now I’m just upgrading from high school and my plan is to get a scholarship to the (United) States. I’m looking to go into the field of social work to eventually go into therapy and help people get through issues and if they need some support,” she stated.

Marisa Dick Fact File Education : Paul Kane High School, Canada Age: 18 Achievements: 1st in Vault at 2014 Alberta Provincial Championships (Canada); 1st Bars at 2014 Alberta Provincial Championships (Canada); 1st All-round at 2014 Alberta Provincial Championships (Canada); 2nd Beam at 2014 Nationals/ Canadian Championships; 2nd All-round at 2014 Nationals/ Canadian Championship