The Bachelor of Music student Melany Gámez Mantilla won the gold medal in the discipline of Artistic Hoop during the National Championship of Pole Sport and Aerial, a historic result for the 19 year old because it was her first participation in a competition of this level.
There she was the best in the Amateur division, Senior 18+ Female category and beat participants from different schools in Colombia, thanks to her talent and the support of the Unlimited Aerial Sport team, an academy to which she has belonged for almost 6 years.
“That medal is an impact and represents something special for me for all my effort, that of my team and, in addition, my personal courage and motivation. It is clear to me that I want to be a complete and great artist, that I want to live many opportunities and experiences, I would like to combine my skills, talents and passions and develop them to the maximum”, said the bumanguesa.
The National Pole Sport and Aerial Championships are held annually and allow athletes from each country to compete under the regulation of the International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF) code of points.
“The preparation is what no one sees, something hard physically and mentally. Building a choreography always has a lot of changes and unconformities. From the beginning I wanted to participate in the artistic modality and I had a very clear idea, but for a while I felt that it did not flow and did not form what I wanted to show. My team helped me to overcome it and give me confidence until I was satisfied with the result. That’s all part of the process, not to mention dealing with things like an injury that limits me physically in several movements,” added the UIS student.
The discipline of Artistic Hoop focuses on artistic expression, choreography and the narration of a story or theme through movement on the hoop. It prioritizes creativity, musicality and the athlete’s ability to communicate a narrative or emotion to the audience and judges. It is a fusion of dance, aerial acrobatics and theatrical expression, all using the aerial hoop as the main element.
In this path of preparation, the young woman values her education at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, where she is studying a Bachelor’s Degree in Music. “I entered the UIS because it seems to me a quality university, with many intellectual and artistic expressions that I enjoy very much, such as the UIS Choir. I have learned a lot about both my musical career and my personal and social development, my identity,” said Gámez Mantilla.
In total, the Unlimited Aerial Sport team won six gold medals in different disciplines.
