RUŽA, IN THE RHYTHM OF GYMNASTICS

Year 8 is also hiding a sports sensation in gymnastics - one of our editors-in-chief of Bright Zone and one of our amazing Year 8 pupils - Ruža! She’s doing so well in gymnastics that we, her classmates from Year 8 - Eva and Meera, interviewed her for the newsletter. Learn more about gymnastics and perhaps you find out that it is a challenge you would like to try out!

Just before we talk to Ruža, here are some useful facts to wow you. This is the club where Ruža trains - GK Maksimir, and here are just some of her accomplishments:

• SILVER medal in the City of Zagreb competition in November, 2025

• SILVER medal in the northern region in November 2025

• BRONZE medal on the state shampionship in December, 2025

• GOLD in the City of Zagreb competition in 2023

• GOLD at the Pirouette Cup in 2025

...and so on and so forth!

• EVA: Why did you get into this sport? And how did you hear of it?

• RUŽA: I thought it was fun, because my best friend's mom asked my mum if they should put their daughters in rhythmic gymnastics, and then they put us in gymnastics and we really liked it.

• MEERA: Do you enjoy it and if you do what makes you enjoy it? (for example: friends, trainer or doing the actual sport)

• RUŽA: I have a little group of friends. We all hang out. Also my duo makes me enjoy it - it's my friend Greta, and also my coach. She's the funniest person ever. And also the actual sport.

• EVA: What's the most difficult part of doing the sport and what was the hardest challenge to overcome?

• RUŽA: The most difficult part of doing gymnastics is doing your routine over and over and over again and trying to be perfect all the time, because everything has to be perfect for you to get the high score. And the hardest challenge to overcome was… like, those big competitions. We have to really focus on, basically, the few training sessions before it.

• MEERA: Who inspires you and makes your dreams a reality?

• RUŽA: My coach inspires me. She's just the best person on earth and we're best friends. And my mum, of course, who is always so supportive of everything.

• EVA: Can you tell us some interesting things about your last competition and what makes competitions fun and maybe sometimes stressful?

• RUŽA: The most interesting thing from our last competition was probably the bus ride. since we had to ride to Poreč. The sports arena was like next door to the hotel where we went for our ‘maturalac’ (Year 8 class trip). That was really fun because my friends and I went to visit it. I mean the most fun things are hanging out with my friends and building this sportsmanship and like training for those, but the most stressful thing is actually before the carpet- You have to get ready and basically prepare mentally.

• MEERA: How does the sport affect your personal and school life?

• RUŽA: It hasn't really affected my school life. I've been training since second grade, so it hasn't affected my school life, but personal life… also no. It just adds a bit more fun and spice!

• EVA: What would you tell your younger self about this sport now? 

• RUŽA: Maybe don't… you know, when something falls during a routine, just act like nothing happened, because it happened before that I had a little mental breakdown because one of my props fell down… It happens.

• MEERA: Do you have to keep a special type of diet for this sport? ( for example: no carbonated drinks or  sugar)

• RUŽA: There’s no exact diet I have to follow but I have to watch my weight because if I don’t, I can’t jump.

• EVA: Do you want to do this sport in the future? Maybe professionally or as a job?

• RUŽA: I think I want to do gymnastics until college or maybe after. In 2 years I’m going to become a senior, so we change apparatuses so I want to compete in that section, but my friend and I also said that we're probably going to work as coaches during college. 

• MEERA: How do you handle pressure and the high-stakes moments?

• RUŽA: The most high-stake moments of actually doing gymnastics is like… you train so hard for months, and then it all adds up to that one minute and 30 seconds! It's the most stressful thing because you're there and you see the carpet and you see where it actually ends and like… You have to get mentally ready. You've been getting ready physically for so long but mentally you have to get ready in those 3 seconds. So you get yourself together and do it as best as you can!

• EVA: In this sport, how would you describe teamwork? In a sense, when you perform does this matter a lot? What is teamwork for you when you do your work?

• RUŽA: Rhythmic gymnastics is not really specifically a team sport. It depends because there are different programs. There's solo, there’s a duo, then trio and then group, but I do a duo where team does matter but we're basically like sisters, so we were used to it because we've been doing it for so long. And also teamwork does matter but it's more like friendships that come together. You meet so many people from so many different countries and everything, and you just cheer for everyone! It’s just really beautiful because of the sportsmanship. It’s not really a team ‘team’ sport but it feels like a team sport, because we're all together like in a game.

A massive thank you to Ruža's family and supporters! We know Ruža's parents must be on the edge of their seats for every competition!

And thank you, Ruža! Keep being an inspiration! We’d love to cheer for you at the Olympic Games some day. so that we can say - oh, wow, we went to school with Ruža Stipić!

(information and photos kindly provided by Ruža's mother)