Lindsay Chung
Observer Contributor
Elizabeth Floyd describes gymnast Bianca Thompson as focused, passionate, strong and flexible.
Those qualities have brought the 14-year-old a lot success in gymnastics, and they’ve earned her the chance to represent Zone 8 at the B.C. Winter Games on Feb. 22-25 in Kamloops.
Thompson, a Grade 9 student at Quesnel Junior School (QJS), qualified for the games in early January.
“I was excited,” she says about qualifying.
“I was also very nervous because I was going to be going alone because I was the only Quesnel kid who made it. But mainly, I was excited.
“We were very proud,” adds Floyd, who is QJS’ high school gymnastics coach.
Thompson says she would like to place in the top 8 in the all around, but mainly she hopes to do her best when she competes in her first B.C. Winter Games.
Thompson competes for and trains with the Quesnel Technics Gymnastics Club and the QJS team, and she has been doing gymnastics for nine years.
While Floyd is Thompson’s high school coach, Peggy Willcox is her club coach.
“Peggy is a great coach,” says Thompson.
Thompson remembers she was leaving ringette, and her mother wanted her to do something active, so she took a gymnastics class.
She advanced to Interclub and then Willcox wanted her to do competitive gymnastics, so she joined the competitive program.
“It was very clear in the first year that Bianca was cut out for competitive,” says Floyd.
“She caught on really quickly and was strong and super flexible.”
Floyd says it was also clear early on that Thompson was very focused.
“You need to have that focus and passion for it, and Bianca just wanted it.”
Thompson competes in Junior Olympic Level 8. There are 10 levels in the Junior Olympic competitive gymnastics program.
Thompson, who is a member of the Quesnel Sports Hall of Fame, loves gymnastics for many reasons.
“I really like competing.
“It’s just a fun thing for me, and I get to be with my friends all the time. It’s all about your teammates.
“We’re always cheering each other on. And you push each other too. And it’s all about being strong.”
This is the final Observer profile of Quesnel athletes who have qualified for B.C. Winter Games. See past editions and online for more. Quesnel athletes are attending for archery, alpine skiing, gymnastics, ringette and Special Olympics basketball.