KUALA LUMPUR – It is not out of the ordinary that a young girl, enamoured by a gymnast competing on television, would walk up to her parents and tell them that she wants to be a gymnast.
It is out of the ordinary when that child has the willpower and focus, coupled with the support of her parents, to become an Olympian.
A 13-year-old Johorean prodigy has set her sights on becoming a world-class athlete, even if it means having to commute regularly from her hometown in Muar to Kuala Lumpur for training.
This is the story of how Eva Goh Hann Ning bagged the rhythmic gymnastics team all-around bronze medal during her debut at the 2022 Malaysia Games (Sukma) held in September in Bukit Jalil.
The birth of passion for gymnastics
The 13-year-old lass, who is currently enrolled in SMK Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor, said she recalled watching rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympics for the first time on television when she was merely 4-years-old.
She immediately went up to her mother, Stephanie Ng Chi Yean, and said that she wanted to learn the sport and compete at the Olympics one day.
“I cannot even begin to describe how much I love gymnastics.
“It was beautiful to see them perform different tricks and disciplines. They were so good at it and looked so smooth. It made me feel happy.
So, I thought if I could do that, maybe I could bring happiness to everyone too,” said the bright-eyed young athlete to The Vibes recently.
Stephanie and Eva’s father Goh Boon Piu did not take long to decide on enrolling their daughter in a gymnastics school.
However, they were concerned whether Eva would be able to commit to a tight schedule between studies and training.
“I said to Eva, it is going to take a lot of hard work to achieve that (competing at the Olympics), but she insisted on trying.
“So, we agreed and arranged for her enrollment,” said Stephanie.
Eva said she aspired to be like her favourite gymnasts – Israel’s Olympic gold medallist Linoy Ashram and 2022 world champion Sofea Raffaeli of Italy.
Being a young athlete, she realised that she would need to work hard to start building her reputation from an early age.
As such, her success at the 20th Sukma edition was just the stepping stone to bigger tournaments in the future.
Making waves at the tender age of 13
Most might not recognise her name, as the young Johorean has yet to make a mark in the local sports scene, but her efforts to become a successful gymnast deserve to be highlighted.
Even though she resides and attends school in Muar, Eva has also attended gymnastics training in Kuala Lumpur since she was 4-years-old.
When asked why, she said without batting an eyelash: “I prefer to stay in Johor and attend school here so that I can represent my state for as long as I can.
“I want to let everybody know that I am from Johor and I want to bring a good name to my school.”
Stephanie and Boon Piu had insisted on sending their daughter to a gymnastics school in Kuala Lumpur as it offers the best coach.
This is so Eva can realise her dream of becoming an Olympian.
“We decided on Kuala Lumpur because they have the best gymnastics coach. We would rather travel and let our daughter learn the right way,” said Stephanie.
Eva is currently training at the Rhythmic Excellence Unity Academy in Bandar Baru Sri Petaling.
Previously, she trained at the Sarina Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Kuala Lumpur from when she was 4- to 9-years-old.
‘Our children are our strength’
Most parents are naturally willing to go the extra mile to make their children happy. Stephanie and Boon Piu have spent countless hours and a lot of money to ensure that Eva’s needs are met.
“It is never easy to travel from Muar to Kuala Lumpur and back to Muar on the same day. It can be quite tiring, but we find time, we always do,” said Boon Piu.
“Gymnastics is also a costly sport. Each leotard could cost around RM1,500 to RM3,000, and we also spend on her own sets of apparatus, as well as gymnast shoes.”
Meanwhile, Eva’s brother, 17-year-old Euan Goh Zhen Yee, attends music classes, including for guitars and drums, in Subang.
Stephanie said that their sacrifice is incomparable to their children’s happiness in pursuing their dreams, which gives them the strength to keep going. – The Vibes, October 23, 2022