Agile, flexible, daring and graceful are just a few of the words that can be used to describe the UP-Tuks gymnast, Lisa Conradie, who will be competing from this weekend at the Youth Olympic Games.

Conradie who is turning 15 tomorrow (3 October) is considered by her coach Louis Fourie as the “real deal”.

“I have been coaching gymnastics for years. I can honestly say that if managed properly there is no telling as to what Lisa might achieve. Every time she walks out to compete it is like you know something special is going to happen, you are just not sure how special it is going to be.”

Liezl Bouch (UP-Tuks gymnastics manager and coach) added that Conradie made local gymnastics history earlier this year in Namibia where she qualified to compete at the Youth Games.

“Lisa is the first South African gymnast ever to qualify as Africa’s best for any Games.”

At the African Championships in Swakopmund, she won two gold medals, a silver and bronze to finish second overall. There is a story to be told as to why she did not win but according to Bouch that is for another time. 

Conradie is slightly embarrassed about the way her praises are being sung. She is quick to point out that she considers herself to be the forever student of gymnastics and that there is still a lot she got to learn before considering herself any good.

“My only goal at the Games is to gain as much experience as possible. Naturally, I want to perform to the best of my ability, but gymnastics is always about total perfection. Even smallest of mistakes can be costly,” said the UP-Tuks gymnast who is a great admirer of the way the American gymnasts.

Fourie is of the opinion that Conradie will be amongst the top 18 gymnasts at the end of the competition adding that if she is able to come close to the scores with which she qualified she might cause a surprise.

Conradie is not the only UP-Tuks gymnast who will be competing internationally this weekend. The 15-year old Inneke Josling is representing South Africa at the Leverkusen Cup Meeting in Germany.

The Leverkusen Cup is one of the longest running international gymnastic competitions. This weekend will be the 42nd consecutive time it is hosted. Ten teams from seven countries are competing.

Josling finished third overall last year during a competition in Serbia. She won a bronze medal in the uneven bars and silver in the vault.

Fourie considers Josling as one of South Africa’s underestimated gymnasts.

“Inneke is an absolute perfectionist. It does not matter on what apparatus she trains she will never be satisfied until she is able to execute a specific exercise to perfection. What helps at the moment is that she is physically strong. However, we need to work on her flexibility to enable her to be truly competitive at international events.” 

Bouch is the South African national coach at the Leverkusen Cup.

Next month in Doha Angela Maguire (UP-Tuks) will represent South Africa at the Senior World Championships.