Dominique Mann is one of SA’s most diverse and talented athletes. With a long list of achievements – she is a true asset to SA, not only in sport but also in the communities that she impacts. She is freshly awarded with the Miss Multiverse Fitness Award in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic). She has become such a brand name, household name and sportspreneur in her own right – real girlpower at its best!
She is a proudly South African Aerobic gymnast par excellence who has this year won gold for SA at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships in Korea along with team mates Wilson Mafona, Happy Ledebwa.
She says about herself “I am a socialable and approachable person. I love my family and friends. I am a very VERY driven athlete, I have captained the SA Gymnastics team for several major events. I pride myself on commitment to reaching my goals”.
Athlete: Bio / Stats |
|
| Name & Surname | Dominique Mann |
| Nick Name | Dom |
| Date of birth | 28 06 1985 |
| Place of birth | Durban |
| Current City | Durban and Pretoria |
| Height | 171cm |
| Weight | 57kg |
| Shoe Size | 5 |
| Club | Brits Gymnastics club and CKS Athletics club (I do 2 sports) |
| Coach’s Name | Alta Lategan (Gymnastics) Piet Brits (pole vault) |
| Out of Country events/ meets | Taken part in 5 x World Championships. Multiple World Cups. 5x African Championships. 1x All Africa Games |
| Favorite City | Paris, I compete there often, absolutely love it. |
| Favorite Song/ type of music | At the moment it is Fight Song by Rachel Platten. I love Pop music |
| Favorite Movie | The note book |
| Sponsors | Mr Price Sport. Futurelife. Oakley. |
| Twitter
Facebook name |
@DomMann (Twitter)
DominiqueMann (IG) Dominique Mann (FB) |
| Community / church projects involved in | Attend Ballito Catholic church |
| Parents Names, siblings | Malcolm and Michelle Mann.
Siblings- Allan, Briarley, Danielle and Simone BIG FAMILY 🙂 |
INTERVIEW:
Q: Congratulations! – You did brilliantly at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships in Korea. Do you want to share a little on your achievements here (individually / team), how did you experience it? Lesson learned?
Thank you so much 🙂 I compete in a team event. There are three of us in the team, Wilson Mafona, Happy Ledebwa and myself , we take part in the Trio Section. This is a very popular section in Aerobic Gymnastics. We went to Korea with a goal, it was to try place 1st out of all the African countries. This was a very important goal, because if reached, it would advance us onto other major and important competitions for 2017, some of which we are unable to mention at present. The task was big, because there are a lot of very strong African countries, but we managed to pull off a very clean routine and reach our goal. We are currently ranked 1st in Africa. We are over the moon and couldn’t have done it without our coach Alta Lategan!
Q: Why do you have so much love and respect for your coach/es?
People often forget that coaches have to give up as much time and put in as much commitment as the athletes do, to help an athlete realise their goal. More often than not, the coaches are forgotten in the excitement. It is a 50/50 partnership. I have great respect for my coaches for this reason.
Q: How do you balance your sport with the rest of your life / career / studies?
It is difficult to balance other areas of my life with sport, but every athlete who is hungry for victory will always find a way around it. It’s all about priority at the end of the day.
Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?
I know God is with me every step of the way. I was raised with Christian values, and will always be grateful and faithful.
Q: What do you do to relax?
The very little time I have off from my sport. I enjoy spending time with my family and boyfriend. I love having fun outings with my friends and really enjoy a good movie.
Q: One thing about you that the world does not know 🙂
I am a lefty, and I have a secret stash of chocolate 🙂
Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?
Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard!!!!
Q: What is your favourite Bible / Scripture quote?
“A foolish person refuses to listen to his father’s advice. But a wise person listens closely when people try to teach him.” Proverbs 15:5
Q: In your opinion, how do you define greatness / success in life?
The ultimate secret to success, is the ability to endure criticism without resentment.
Q: What’s your WHY ? Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do because I am passionate about sport and competing, and the wonderful feeling of stepping into a competition arena in the Green and Gold. I hope that our youth see in me, someone that leads by example when it comes to commitment, sportsmanship and humility.
Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!
Photo Credits Neville Bailey
NB – All images were supplied by the athlete to Heslop Sports. If there are any images that are not credited correctly, please email info@heslopsports.co.za with the details and we will gladly do so immediately.
