INJURIES cruelled Cairns artistic gymnast Monique Cowan's Olympic ambitions but she hopes she can now help someone realise that dream.
Cowan, an level 10 international competitor, has returned to the Barron Valley Gymnastics Club where she launched a career which took her to the elite athlete ranks at the Australian Institute of Sport.
The 17-year-old narrowly missed out on the Australian team to contest the Olympics, earning a spot in the shadow team from which the final line-up was selected.
However, the fact she was even in the selection frame is testament to her skill, dedication and courage.
After reaching Olympic standard in 2006, the year in which she competed internationally and took a bronze medal at the national championships, Cowan’s progress was derailed by a horrific run of injuries last year.
"I was at Olympic standard in 2006 but then 2007 hit," Cowan said with a grimace.
"I tore ligaments in my ankle, had stress fractures in my back and dislocated my knee. Everything went down the drain completely."
Having already made the step up into elite competition at an older age than most of her counterparts, Cowan realised her Olympic chances were slim but she was determined to give it her best shot.
"I’d trained too damn hard to not give it a go," she said. "I trialled for Beijing and made the shadow team, and only missed out by a few points."
"But I had to put everything into perspective. I was older than the other girls and, at that point, every little 15-year-old is yelling "pick me".
"So I decided it was time to come back home and train for for the level 10 national titles."
After winning a national allround gold medal at the age of 13, Cowan successfully trialled for a spot in the AIS program despite having believed she was already too old for such an opportunity.
She trained hard to gain ground on her fellow gymnasts before injuries hit and now Barron Valley’s new generation stands to benefit from her experience.
Having returned to the club she first joined as a five-year-old, Cowan will combine her training with coaching duties.
Cowan said the introduction of an international stream in its development program meant young gymnasts would no longer have to leave Cairns to reach elite levels.
