Canadian history could be made up of the stories of adventuresome, energetic individuals who leave their mark on their new country without being voted into office or being involved in a war. They leave their mark by sharing part of their culture.
Co-founders of the Calgary NorGlen Rhythmic Gymnastics Club Rosalie Howard (left) and Helgi Leesment (centre) are joined by elite level gymnast/coach Cinnie Sturgess. Photo: Rosalie Howard
Just what does happen when an Estonian settles in Alberta; the oil capital city of Calgary? Rhythmic Gymnastic clubs sprout, provincial and national gymnastradas take place, kids run home with rhythm gym badges, and non-Estonian Albertans attend world gymnastradas in Amsterdam, Sweden, Berlin and Lisbon. It is rumored that the dear lady responsible for all this is planning to attend the 2007 world gymnastrada as a participant.
The whole story of Helgi Leesment’s achievements is a very long one. There are the highlights that illustrate the extent of her achievements.
One of the things Helgi did best was find other people that knew something about rhythmic gymnastics. She found Anna Boguslavski, a Russian elite competitive gymnast, who showed Calgarians rhythmic gymnastics for this first time. She found Connie Lindenburger-Sturgess, the elite level rhythm gymnast/coach from Ontario (former performer and competitor with Kalev-Estienne) who patiently dealt with beginner gymnasts and beginner coaches. She persuaded Monika Schloder, a University phys ed professor, born and trained in Germany, to start a rhythmic gymnasts club. She introduced Eva Sokol and Helena Janko, two very skilled Czechs, to Calgarians interested in their skills. Did Helgi really step outside her door every morning and check the wind with her dampened finger to see if anyone new had arrived in Calgary overnight? Maybe, just maybe.
Helgi’s enthusiasm touched those with no background in the sport. Her home base, which later became the NorGlen Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, was initially comprised of gymnasts who had no understanding of or background in the sport. It was Helgi’s love of the sport that inspired them to make the journey and see what it would offer them. Elsewhere there were after school programs and the head coach of an artistic gymnastics club had two of her junior coaches switch to rhythmic gymnastics. Helgi’s interest always went beyond what she herself was doing and workshops for beginner coaches were organized.
Not content to promote and coach rhythmic gymnastics in Calgary alone, Helgi volunteered for the position of rhythmics chairperson for Alberta. Dogged persistence allowed her to regularly travel to Edmonton (three hours) attend a six hour meeting and travel back to Calgary on the same day (another three hours). Her task was to introduce the noncompetitive (display) aspect of the sport to Alberta and have the competitive wing, initially unwillingly, share the government grants for coaches training and other grass roots development. Her efforts paid off; now there is a provincial gymnastrada every year in Alberta with provincial participation.
Never one to say no easily, Helgi was backed into a corner by an authoritative lady, and came back from a national meeting with the news that Calgary was hosting a national Gymnastrada. The “dogged persistence” surfaced again and the Olympic Speedskating Oval was the site of the first national gymnastrada that made money with very little sponsorship. There were gymnasts from across Canada (housed where the Olympic athletes had been housed) and school groups from Calgary doing mass routines. It was a proud moment.
After organizing a national gymnastrada, managing the national team in Amsterdam should be a piece of cake, right? Helgi went off to Amsterdam and came home exhausted beyond words. When she did find words she wrote them out - all 27 typewritten pages; submitted her report to the national rhythmics organization in Ottawa. Her report was read and radical changes have since been made in the organization of the international trip. Apparently, fourteen years later, it still makes for interesting reading.
Helgi’s husband’s employment took her away from Alberta, to another culture and another continent. She took her rhythmic gymnastics balls with her. She managed to get in a few bounces escaping the notice of the Muslim eyes that would have forbidden such an activity for women. She also managed to get her husband’s written consent whenever she wanted to make a long-distance phone call (no kidding!). This very unusual lifestyle lasted 2 years. Helgi and Peter returned to Canada and settled in Vancouver.
In Vancouver, Helgi slowed down and did a short stint of coaching but mostly maintained her own skills by participating in a women’s rhythmic gymnastics group.
Helgi’s extensive efforts have been recognized at all levels. In Calgary, the Helgi Leesment Award was established by the Calgary Rhythmic Gymnastic Association in recognition of her efforts on behalf of all clubs. There have been 16 recipients to date. Helgi received a Certificate of Service from the Calgary Board of Education. From the provincial government Helgi received the Alberta Sport Volunteer Recognition Award; from Rhythmics Alberta she received a Rhythmic Gymnastics 25th Anniversary Award. This award coincided with the many personal congratulations and thank-yous that she received during the 25th anniversary of NorGlen, the club she co-founded so long ago. Nationally, she has received a Certificate of Appreciation as well as a silver pin for 10 years of volunteer work.
Since returning to Calgary, Helgi has maintained her rhythmic gymnastic contacts as well as continuing her active participation in the sport. She joined the ladies group that she had helped start so many years ago, and when coach Connie left for Australia, Helgi began coaching the group again. She recently coordinated the joint-effort choreography of an African theme routine, including the use of a live drummer. What lies ahead? Will Helgi and her neat routine make it all the way to Austria in 2007, site of the next World Gymnastrada?
Anyone who knows Helgi believes that it will all happen. Look for her there. She will be wearing the uniform of her adopted country, speaking Estonian to her old friends and smiling as always. She still always counts in Estonian.
(ROSALIE HOWARD is Co-founder of NorGlen Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, Calgary, Alberta)
