More than jumping rope

Young gymnasts compete at the European Championships

Magdalena (left) and Sara have qualified for the European Rope Skipping Championships in Hungary. Coach Lina (center) supports the two jumpers.(Bild: Attila Molnar)

The jumpers Sara and Magdalena from the Krems Gymnastics Club have successfully qualified for the European Rope Skipping Championships in Hungary. However, they still need donations to be able to make the trip.

Rope skipping is more than just jumping rope in the school playground, which many people know from their own experience. The "Krone" team also realized this during training with the Krems gymnastics club. Rope skipping is a real competitive sport that requires a lot of stamina.

Sara Dugonjic (16) and Magdalena Ettenauer (15) are now providing plenty of momentum. The two gymnasts qualified for the European Rope Skipping Championships in Eger (Hungary). It is the first participation in the European Championships for the two Lower Austrians and for the gymnastics club in Krems in general.

What's special about rope skipping? "You can give free rein to your creativity and try out new things. The sport is constantly evolving and therefore never gets boring," the students enthuse.

They train almost every day for the upcoming European Championships in July. They receive support from their coach Lina de Savornin Lohman. 

Financial help
"The hard work of the last few years has finally paid off for Sara and Magdalena. But all their hard work is not quite enough for the trip to Eger - the financial aspect is still an issue," says Lina. The costs for the trip - Lina is of course going along as coach - amount to around 3000 euros. That's why the athletes have launched an appeal for donations to finance their participation in Eger - and with a bit of luck, they might even bring the European Championship title to Krems.

You can donate here: www.gofundme.com