Mackenzie bucks the odds to shine
Practise, practise, practise is what Mackenzie Bauld says it takes to make it in the competitive world of calisthenics.
To see her performing a rod routine on the Rockingham foreshore, beaming with confidence and a bright smile, it was hard to believe the 11-year-old was once seriously ill.
Throughout the early years of her life she battled a rare childhood illness auto immune neutropenia - a condition where the neutrophils (one of the white blood cells) cannot fight bacteria.
Protected at home in a sterile environment to avoid the risk of infections, doctors were unsure whether Mackenzie would be able to start kindergarten.
But with the right medication Mackenzie was able to start school and begin living a healthy life in remission, which led her to the sport she now loves - calisthenics.
The artistic sport is unique to Australia and combines gymnastics, ballet, folk dance, jazz ballet, apparatus, figure marching, mime and singing.
Mackenzie said she started calisthenics at Rockingham Calisthenics Club when she was six years old.
"I watched my sister Madeleine doing calisthenics when the club first opened, and it looked like so much fun I wanted to do it," she said.
Six years on and Mackenzie's hard work has sealed her a spot in the Calisthenics Association WA State junior team, which is set to compete at the ACF 27th National Calisthenics Championships. Mackenzie is the first girl from the Rockingham club to be selected in a State team.
To get there she had to showcase her talent in a range of routines run by CAWA in October and November last year, competing against girls from 15 clubs across WA.
Mackenzie said it took a lot of hard work and dedication to training, but it was worth it.
"I looked at the calisthenics website and we looked at the State section and my name was on the list and I was like 'wow'," she said.
"I felt really excited, I started screaming."
She said she loved all aspects of calisthenics, the costumes, routines, props and friendships.
"I feel like it is a lot different to normal sports … it's bits of ballet and gymnastics, but it also has its own things," Mackenzie said.
"At junior level you do headstands, handstands, walkovers, back bend overs - I'm trying to perfect my technique with rods and clubs and also work on my headstands and walkovers.
"It does take a lot of training, I don't think people realise at times - they say 'oh that's easy', until they try it.
"We make it look easy even though it actually is really hard and in training we always have to practise, practise, practise."
Mackenzie said she hoped to continue moving up the ranks in calisthenics and one day gain the qualifications to become a calisthenics coach.
With Mackenzie now excelling, academically, in the Comet Bay College gifted and talented program, and physically, her mother, Jane Bauld, said she could not be happier.
"She was a really shy child because of her rare medical condition … and she was sort of kept in a bubble until she started kindergarten," she said.
"To see her out there being so confident now is just awesome."
Mackenzie will travel to the Gold Coast Arts Centre in Queensland in July with the State team of 65 competitors.
