There cannot be an argument about it. To be competitive, you must be fearless. It is all about mind over body. A millisecond of lost focus cost points or could lead to getting injured. So there is never any margin for error.
It is precisely why the Tuks BSc Sports Science student, Ruan Lange, fell in love with gymnastics. He is not the first in his family to have done so. His granddad, Leonard Schutte, also competed as a gymnast.
“My granddad could have been a Springbok, but I am unsure,” Lange said.
The Tuks student has his own claim to fame. In 2018 he competed at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and made history by winning gold. Lange is the first South African gymnast to do so. He was part of the Simon Biles team that won gold in the NOC multi-discipline team competition. Needless to say, being Biles’s teammate is something he will never forget.
For those who don’t know, Biles is considered by many to be one of the best-ever female gymnasts. She won five gold medals at the Olympic Games and 19 at the World Championships. Biles is the most decorated gymnast in the history of the World Championships.
From next week Lange will compete at the World Student Summer Games in Chengdu, China. The Tuks student is realistic as to what awaits him.
“I would love to say I am in with a chance of medalling, but I am not. Still, it does not mean I am only there to make up numbers. I got my personal goals. If I get to achieve them, it is my mission accomplished.”
When watching gymnastics, it can’t be helped to be continuously amazed by what the human body is capable of. But how does one conquer fear when doing these “stunts”.
Lange says overcoming fear is easier than many might think.
“I won’t lie. I had my teeth chattering moments when I had to execute a new move for the first time. But once you have done so, you realise it was not as bad as expected.
“Funnily enough, I never got injured the first time I did any move. When you do something a few times, you start to err, perhaps because of overconfidence. That is when you get injured. The worst that has happened to me was breaking an arm. The one time I cut my head open, hitting the bar.”
Lange has a good reason for studying sports science. He wants to make a career of it. His aim is to become an International Master Coach.
Lisa Conradie is the other Tuks gymnast that will be competing at the World Student Games.