Four rising stars from Vancouver Island’s West Coast Rhythmic Gymnastics Club are headed to the 2025 Canadian National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships – the Island’s strongest showing in over a decade.
It’s the first time in more than 10 years that multiple athletes from a Vancouver Island club will represent British Columbia on the national stage, with the event slated for June 6-9 in Ottawa.
The competitors earning their spots to represent Team BC are Vanessa Seelinger in the novice category, juniors Khloe Sneek and Karol Barragan Santana, and senior Abril Barragan Santana. All four compete in Canada’s elite National Stream program, showcasing the country’s top rhythmic gymnasts.
Rhythmic gymnastics is a demanding Olympic sport that blends ballet, dance, acrobatics, and skilful handling of apparatuses like hoop, ball, ribbon, and clubs.
Kristy Wilson, head coach of West Coast Rhythmic, explained that while the routines look effortless, the sport requires extraordinary athleticism and artistry.
“It looks a lot easier than it is,” Wilson said. “Gymnastics combines performance elements – dance, expression, artistry, ballet – with athleticism, like jumping, leaping, and turning. It’s an esthetic sport but with huge physical demands.”
Scoring in rhythmic gymnastics reflects both the technical difficulty and execution of routines. Gymnasts perform four apparatus routines – hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon – each evaluated on their mastery of elements and the fluidity of their performance.
At the novice level, routines involve fewer apparatus and no ribbon, while juniors and seniors perform all four.
Wilson detailed the selection process for Nationals, noting that gymnasts must place in the top 12 at regional qualifiers to make it. From there, the best gymnasts across Canada vie for spots in the high-performance pool, which can lead to national team selection and international competition.
Having four athletes qualify this year is a significant achievement for the club.
“It’s very inspiring for everyone involved – the gymnasts, coaches, and the whole community,” Wilson said. “It speaks to the time and energy we’ve put into improving our programming and focusing on high performance.”
The athletes represent different stages of progression in the sport. Vanessa Seelinger will experience her first national championship. Khloe Sneek is a junior who started rhythmic gymnastics relatively late at age nine but has rapidly advanced to the national level.
Sisters Karol and Abril Barragan Santana, both training at West Coast Rhythmic, will compete as guest athletes, gaining invaluable exposure to top-level competition.
Wilson highlighted how the sport builds skills far beyond gymnastics, teaching perseverance, discipline, and motivation that prepare athletes for success in life and careers beyond sport.
The national championships, held annually, also serve as a qualifier for Elite Canada, a re-ranking event that determines who makes the national team for international meets throughout the year.
As the club looks ahead to the championships in Ottawa, their goal is clear: clean, consistent routines and personal bests on the national stage.
