the only Olympic Rhythmic Gymnast from Asia

In Canada we think our Olympians have it rough. Others have it far tougher:

Shin Soo-ji won the top place in the competition to select the rhythmic gymnasts to represent South Korea in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, held at Korea National Sport University on Feb. 3. In the 28th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in September last year, Shin placed herself on the 17th rank and succeeded in getting the ticket to the Olympics which is given only to top 20 gymnasts.

For South Korea, this is the first time in 16 years since the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games that it has won the ticket to Olympics in rhythmic gymnastics. Shin Soo-ji is the only Asian gymnast to compete in the Beijing Olympics.

… Last year she spent about 200 days abroad to take part in 12 competitions and trainings.

For the moment the biggest enemy for the young gymnast is money. Training in Russia costs 300,000 won per day, and she had been handling it personally. Recently her parents closed their installment savings.

All her suits she wears in competitions are second-hand items. Unable to afford the suits priced above 2 million won per set, she bought ones previously worn by Russian gymnasts.

A small amount of rice, fruits and six nutrition pills per meal are all she eats a day. In the prime of growth, she is tempted by delicious food, but the sad reality says she shouldn’t eat them. When I have something I want to eat, I comfort myself looking at the pictures of food on the Internet, she said. …

Korean Rhythmic Gymnast to Compete in Beijing – BBC