It’s our pleasure to introduce Luka Vucic, a 2012 Men’s Artistic Gymnastics athlete from Kitchener, ON, Canada who trains with KW Gymnastics and Team Ontario.
Read below to learn more about Luka and hear how he maintains his competitive edge!
Interview
Weʼd love to begin by learning about your early gymnastics career. When and where did you start your competitive program? And, what did you love most about it?
I started gymnastics at KWGC. My mom enrolled me in gymnastics because I kept jumping around at home, cracking my head open off different pieces of furniture (I have scars and stitches to prove it, including on my head and over my eye). I started in the rec program, but the
competitive coorindator quickly ideintified me and asked me to try out for competitive, and the rest is history!
What was it like to compete for the first time? Did this experience shift for you as you gained experience?
First competition was very scary, nerve-wracking, but also super exciting. I sitll get nervous at every competition.
Who and what has been most influential in your gymnastics career? And, how have you stayed dedicated and motivated?
My mom. She supports me in all my trainings, helps me stay on top of school work (especially b/c I miss a lot of class time to train). She even brings her work to the gym during sessions so that she can watch me train.
One of the aspects of gymnastics that we appreciate so much is that senior competitive athletes often participate in coaching younger competitive athletes. From what we hear, this is pretty standard in the sport and, we have to say, we think itʼs ingenious! Athletes who are new to the sport get to know their role models, which is so inspiring; Senior athletes deepen their knowledge by teaching skills in ways that resonate with boys who have myriad learning styles; and the gymnastics community benefits by having those who are participating in the sport literally shape its future. We’re curious: Does your gym also use a model like this?
Yes
Could you talk about your perspective on this practice and share your experience growing up within it, if applicable?
This is awesome, its great to see and interact with the older boys, especially because I hope to be just like them when I am their age.
What are some of your most memorable career highlights?
1st place Vault with a score of 15.05 at 2023 Provincial Championships.
Sticking my first double-back dismount on rings (just the other day!)
Could you please share what grade you’re in and what plans and aspirations you have for the future?
Grade 6; I hope to one day train younger athletes at my gym, and also hope to compete at the university/college level, and even for Team Canada at the Olympics. I want to stay involved in gymnastics/sports when i am grown as well. I would love to get into Stamford for school.
Iʼd like you to imagine that youʼre in your 30s, living your best life! What do you think youʼll remember most fondly about your gymnastics career? And what has been your most fun memory, to this point?
Competitions, traveling and seeing new places, friendships that i made with my teammates, as well as meeting new friends as I compete.
Could you please share some of the transferable skills that youʼve developed because of gymnastics? And also about any other ways you anticipate this sport will influence your life in the future?
Perisistance and dedication and never ever giving up.
Lastly, do you have any advice for younger athletes who are interested in MAG? Both in terms of gymnastics and in general?
Listen to your coach, some things take a long time and require patience to perfect. Your coach knows what they are doing, and will get you properly developed to compete the big tricks properly, with time.
Lightning Round
If you could eat one food for the rest of your life it would be:
Raspberries
If you were told the internet was going to disappear forever, what would you put on your hard drive? (Movies, shows, music, photos, etc.)
Photos and videos of gymnastics routines.
Your morning drink/meal of choice is:
Yogurt
On your days off, what do you LOVE doing?
Gymnastics (no joke!)
Your three biggest priorities in life are:
- Gymnastics
- School
- Health
That’s a wrap! Thank you, Luka!
We hope you found Luka’s interview fun and inspiring! Here at the Grizzly Classic, our goal is to increase participation in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics across Canada. We thought it would be fun to share stories from athletes competing at every level and every age to create a sense of connection among these extraordinary athletes and give newcomers a window into the MAG community.
We hope you found this interview interesting and helpful.
If you have feedback, we’d love to hear it! And, if you know an athlete who would like to be featured, please direct them to the Grizzly Classic Featured Athlete Profile Form.
