High-performance gymnast inspires with her career

By: Alejandro García Suárez – Advisory Office of Communications

Michael Jefersson Mancera Londoño, 27 years old and soon to graduate with a degree in Sports Science and Physical Education from the Soacha campus, is a prominent high-performance athlete in Artistic Gymnastics. Since the age of five, Michael has dedicated his life to this discipline, progressing through various children's, youth, and now senior categories.

In an interview with the UCundinamarca News Agency, Michael shared his experience and the challenges of practicing a high-performance sport. He currently works as a coach at an artistic gymnastics club in Yokohama, Japan, where he teaches children from age four to adults.

Mancera Londoño explained that his arrival in Japan was thanks to the good relationship he maintained with his Japanese coach during his youth career in Colombia. Through him, the opportunity arose to come to this country, where he has been working as a coach for about six months. These training sessions can vary from 3 to 8 hours a day, depending on the assigned workload, something very different from what he is used to in Colombia. “Here, athletes have a start time, but it's not known when they will finish until they complete their assigned task.”.

“The educational model, characterized by being translocal and transmodern, has been very useful to me, as the knowledge I acquired as an athlete is complemented by the theoretical component offered by the university. This is a universal career that can be practiced in Colombia and anywhere in the world,” the athlete stated.

Michael also expressed his desire to continue improving: “Right now, I’m bringing out a better version of myself as an athlete. I have the opportunity to work here with artistic gymnastics, build on what I learned at university, and eventually pursue postgraduate studies here in Japan.”.

Acknowledging the demands of high-performance sports, she stated: “Gymnastics, like all high-performance sports, requires a great deal of commitment, discipline, and consistency. These factors are crucial not only in sports but also in daily life. Those who possess them will surely achieve many things in life; it will be worth the effort to reach their goals.”.

Michael recalled his initial motivation for practicing artistic gymnastics: “My inclination for gymnastics comes from my two older brothers, who practiced this discipline. I saw them training in my backyard, performing different figures such as swings, balances, cartwheels, twist jumps, among other exercises.”.

“I’ve had the opportunity to compete at the Pan American, South American, and international levels. I also participated in the Bolivarian Games and recently tried to qualify for the Paris Olympics; although I didn’t reach the necessary score, I gave it my best shot,” Mancera pointed out.

Finally, Michael sent an inspiring message to all the graduates and those about to graduate: “Always dream big and be very disciplined in everything you do. Motivation must come from within. Visualize big and challenging dreams, because dreaming big also means aspiring big.”.

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