Bachelor of Sports Business student Lauren Klemt shines as one of our Elite Athletes at ACPE. She has recently competed in several overseas competitions for Rhythmic Gymnastics and shares with us today her journey, most recent results, as well as what it’s like to balance her athletic career with her studies.
Lauren started her journey in Rhythmic Gymnastics when she was in year 5 at school. It was offered as an extra-curricular activity, which she quickly came to enjoy. 12 years later, Lauren has recently come back from competing in Spain, Italy and China.
Starting with The Vitry Cup in Spain, Lauren was extremely pleased with her performances; “I performed really well on the first day where I placed 7th overall in ball against a tough field of gymnasts from Russia and the Ukraine.” From there, Lauren went on to compete in the Rome Cup; “Competing at the Rome Cup was also amazing… I got to meet so many people from around the world.” Overall, Lauren was thrilled to place third, one of her biggest career highlights.
Following her success in both Spain and Italy, Lauren then travelled on to the Zhong Ling Cup in China. Delighted by achieving a personal best overall score, Lauren walked away placing sixth overall, as well as fourth in ribbon and sixth in hoop, ball and clubs. To top it off, Lauren was then awarded the Zhong Ling Cup Princess Award, finishing her competition season on a massive high.
When chatting to Lauren about the preparation process for international competitions, she says that it can be intense, but no different to her preparations for any other competition; “I am almost more relaxed because you get to go to a different country where nobody knows you….you get to relax and perform your routines without any real pressure!”
In 2017, Lauren discovered that she had a condition called Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome, this required her to have major operations in both her legs. Coming back from such extensive surgery and back into competition has been a huge accomplishment for Lauren.
So with all that said and done, how does Lauren balance her study with all her training? Thanks to the flexibility in study options at ACPE, Lauren changes up between a part-time and full-time study load, depending on when her competition season is; “this makes it easier to work around my training schedule!”
Congratulations Lauren on your achievements!