fciwomenswrestling.com article, wikimedia photo
Tales of falling stars have magically entertained and mesmerized generations throughout time.
The story has such power that artists have penned songs to commemorate this global twinkle.
Catch a Falling Star, written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, is a song made famous by Perry Como‘s hit version, released in 1957.
It was Mr. Como’s last number one hit. It was the first single to receive a gold record certification, on March 14, 1958.
The song has been featured in several films, including The Princess Diaries, Love Actually, Everybody’s Fine and Never Been Kissed.
While most people remember the first part of Mr. Como’s song, they tend to forget the most important admonition it commands.
When speaking of Sweden’s star elite gymnast Jonna Adlerteg, we certainly won’t.
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”… Stephen Hawking
World? Have you heard of this bright star from the great north?
Jonna Eva-Maj Adlerteg won the bronze medal on bars at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Adlerteg qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, becoming the second Swedish gymnast during the 21st century to qualify for the Olympics after Veronica Wagner.
Ms. Adlerteg took Sweden’s first medal in gymnastics in over 50 years when she won the silver medal on the uneven bars at the 2013 Europe Championships.
Star quality for certain.
Jonna’s star continued to rise. She started the season at the 2015 Cottbus World Cup and won the bars final.
At the 2015 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, in April 2015, she qualified to the all-around final.
At her Instagram she smiles, “Swedish elite gymnast ?? 2012 Olympian, 2013 European UB silver medalist.”
“The stars that have most glory have no rest.”… Samuel Daniel
We’ve electronically been to Sweden many times and can’t get enough of it. In honor of Jonna, it’s time to travel there once again, this time to Västerås.
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 62 miles west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 110,877 inhabitants in 2010.
Västerås is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and Northern Europe. The name originates from Västra Aros, which refers to the river mouth of Svartån. The area has been populated since the Nordic Viking Age, before 1000 AD. In the beginning of the 11th century it was the second largest city in Sweden, and by the 12th century had become the seat of the bishop.
Today it’s predominantly known as an industrial city, but also a retailing and logistics city.
Do they have fun there? It’s Sweden, of course they do.
The travel site visitvasteras.se starts us off with arms wide open. “In Västerås, you can spend the night among the treetops in the city center or above or below the surface of the water in Lake Mälaren. Hotell Hackspett is located 13 meters above ground in the largest oak tree in one of the city-center parks.
Hotell Utter Inn is an underwater hotel just 1 km from the harbor in Västerås and Ooops Hotell, the latest addition, gives the illusion of being a large house that has sunk to the bottom of Lake Mälaren.”
As you can guess, this Nordic region has many fans and visitors.
The global travel giant lonelyplanet.com shares, “With its cobbled streets, higgledy-piggledy houses and flourishing flower gardens, Västerås’ old town is an utter delight. But Sweden’s sixth-largest city is a place of two halves: head just a few blocks southeast and you’ll find modern shopping centers, large industries and sprawling suburbs that bear no resemblance to the teeny lanes and crafts shops you’ve left behind.”
No wonder Jonna ascended to stardom. Just look at the wonderful community that raised her.
So often, bright and shining stars rise and unfortunately sometimes they fall.
According to wagymnastics.wikia.com, “In 2015, at the Ljubljana World Cup, she won silver on bars and placed fifth on beam and sixth on floor. She qualified to the all-around at the European Championships, but tore her ACL in her first rotation and withdrew.
In 2016, Adlerteg returned to competition at the Sidijk Gymnastics Tournament, only competing two events. She competed at the Doha World Cup in late March, winning gold on uneven bars. However, she reinjured her knee on her dismount, which was diagnosed as a torn meniscus, taking her out of Olympic contention.”
Afterwards Jonna uttered this sad announcement at her Instagram, “I’m sorry to say that I won’t go to Rio this year. I ruptured my meniscus during the dismount in the bars final in Doha.”
How sad one of the best and brightest stars will not be in Rio.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.”… Og Mandino
Let’s not forget the following lyric in Mr. Como’s hit song.
It goes, Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket……..Never let it fade away.
Jonna will always have the support of the united female sports community. We will never let her fade away. She is determined not to as well.
As to the future and her never say die attitude, Jonna proclaimed, “I still think I have my best years ahead of me – it feels like it,” she said. “It’s the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 that are now to look forward to.”
We look forward to Tokyo is 2020 as well.
Jonna’s star will rise again.
It’s embedded in the stars.
~ ~ ~
Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/vasteras
http://visitvasteras.se/en/artiklar/book-unique-experience/
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/perrycomo/catchafallingstar.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXjl0ffNSa4
https://www.instagram.com/jonnaadlerteg/
https://gymnasticscoaching.com/2016/03/25/jonna-adlerteg-gold-on-bars/
http://wagymnastics.wikia.com/wiki/Jonna_Adlerteg
https://www.facebook.com/jonna.adlerteg
http://www.wogymnast.com/2016/03/swedish-jonna-adlerteg-wins-bars-in.html
International Gymnast magazine’s coverage of Swedish gymnasts includes:
“Swedish History-maker” Jonna Adlerteg profile (November 2010)
“Scouting Scandinavia” – feature on IG’s visit to clubs in Sweden and Norway (March 2011)
“Swedish Upswing” – women’s team feature (November 2010)
“Swedish Achiever” Ida Gustafsson short profile (June 3013)
“Sweden’s Standout” – Mans Stenberg profile (March 2010)
Quick Chat: Veronica Wagner (November 2008)
Veronica’s Date: 2008 – Veronica Wagner profile (February 2005)
“Swedish Sojourn” – Karolina Bohman profile (February 2003)
http://www.wogymnast.com/2016/03/swedish-jonna-adlerteg-wins-bars-in.html
http://www.wogymnast.com/2016/03/european-bars-silver-medalist-jonna.html
