By Emma Zhao
As the temperature drops and the snow flies, it’s the time many Canadians start daydreaming about going somewhere warm, but for Alexandra Reddick, there’s no need to dream, she’s already booked her ticket.
The Ottawa Gymnastics Centre athlete earned a January trip to the Arizona Grand Invitational meet in Phoenix thanks to her victory at the Team Ontario Tour Selection meet last month in Mississauga.
Reddick’s finish at the top of the standings also means that an OGC coach will get to travel with her to lead the Ontario Level 10 team (the top tier of competition in women’s artistic gymnastics). And better yet, she gets to bring a friend too in Cléante Théorêt, who grabbed the seventh of eight team qualifying positions.
Théorêt qualified for the Team Ontario tour last season as well, but she elected to compete at the 2023 Canada Winter Games instead, which proved fruitful when she took home three medals.
“We’ve been doing this together for a while now,” Reddick notes. “She’s been through all these competitions before, so it’s just really fun to be able to do it with her.”
The OGC pair are close friends both in and out of gymnastics. It’s very helpful to have a teammate who can provide her personal insights into competitions she’s previously taken part in, says Reddick, who is one year younger than Théorêt.
Reddick got her start in gymnastics when her parents signed her up at age four.
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“I had too much energy, and I was climbing everything and trying to find stuff, so they just put me in,” recounts the Grade 11 Glebe Collegiate Institute student.
Having a little extra energy to burn has come in handy when it comes to encouraging teammates. Reddick says Théorêt’s volume and vigour are always high when it comes to supporting teammates during their routines.
“We’re always just cheering for each other, and Cléante just makes it so fun in the gym when she cheers,” signals Reddick, adding that she’s very appreciative of the supportive environment her club has offered over the years.
Reddick’s first-place all-around finish represented a large leap up the Level 10 standings from last season’s Ontario Championships when she was ninth.
“Of course, I was really excited and happy about it,” she indicates. “But what was most important to me was that I was able to perform with confidence.”
The Nepean-Corona School of Gymnastics earned three Team Ontario Tour berths and another alternate position. Shanae Emmanuel and Leni Frasca finished on each other’s heels in fourth and fifth in the Level 9 competition, Ella Meyer snagged the final position on the Level 8 team, and Sofia Singhal was named alternate for the Level 7 team.
Tumblers Gymnastics Centre’s Megan Lasalle also qualified for a second Team Ontario Level 10 entry.
Reddick’s next big objective is to further follow in her friend’s footsteps and earn an NCAA gymnastics scholarships like Théorêt did to the University of New Hampshire. The Jan. 17-21 Arizona Grand Invitational will provide a big opportunity to be seen by recruiters.
“This year has just been so fun,” underlines Reddick, whose club will host the Ontario Gymnastics Championships next April at the EY Centre. “So I’m just exited to see what the rest of this year looks like.”