Unable to add any more difficult elements to her routines after tearing a ligament in her thumb earlier this year, 2012 Austrian Olympian Barbara Gasser has been focusing on perfecting her elements she already does. TheObserver.ca has featured a fantastic article and video which includes footage of Barbara training as well as an interview with her. The article which is entitled "Gasser flies to Olympics under two flags" which you can see here. Definitely check it out, she seems like such a sweet young lady and I wish her all the best.
Some information from the article:
Gasser - a native of the west Austrian town of Lustenau - is a seven-time national champion in her country of birth. Her family moved to Sarnia in 2003.
“I really love Sarnia, and at this point, I would not think about ever moving from this place,” said Gasser, who became a dual citizen two years ago.
She trains with Dave and Liz Brubaker at Bluewater Gymnastics - the same club as newly-crowned Canadian Olympian Dominique Pegg.
“It’s really exciting that both of us can go, and for different countries, too,” Gasser said.
Pegg received a lot of attention for being selected to wear red and white in London, but Gasser said she doesn’t mind staying out of the limelight. She trains and competes in Austria a few months out of the year, where she receives quite a bit of publicity.
“I find that when I’m here, I’m glad I don’t get the attention,” she said. “It keeps me leveled on the ground, and I don’t think about those distractions.”
And on her future Olympic experience:
She’s also very self-motivated - a quality she said is passed down from her parents. She just completed the first year of her bachelor’s degree through Athabasca University’s online program - finishing her last exam Friday - and is training as a yoga instructor, all while preparing for the Olympics.
Gasser’s perseverance will be tested at the Olympics. She tore a ligament in her thumb earlier this year and it won’t heal in time for the games.
The injury’s meant she can’t add more difficult elements to her routines. Instead, she’ll have to work on perfecting the elements she does.
But as a self-proclaimed perfectionist, Gasser wants to make sure she takes time to appreciates the Olympic experience.
“It’s really just about enjoying every little moment, no matter how good or how bad it is,” she said.
She knows that despite wearing a different red and white uniform, there’ll be some Canucks cheering her on back home.
“I’ve heard that a lot,” she said. “They are proud and it makes me feel good.”