A sweet story about Darina Budnikova's support at the interregional Sky Grace Cup competitions. The gymnast and her mother tell the story

The family of Academy student Darina Budnikova from Belgorod surprised her by arriving on the second day of the interregional Sky Grace Cup competitions.

After performing at the interregional Sky Grace Cup competition, the gymnast shared her emotions:

"When I finished the ribbon, I was leaving the carpet and turned around, and they were sitting there. I was in shock. Of course, I really enjoyed it, because the support of my loved ones is very important to me. It calms me down."

She appreciated the performances at the tournament and highlighted the gymnasts she supported at this start: 

"On the first day, I was very worried because I hadn't performed in a long time. On the second day, it was calmer. We need to overcome our fear, become more confident and perform for the audience, not to be afraid. I supported Ulyana Janus, Masha Borisova, Sasha Borisova, and Alisa Medvedeva. I really like them. They are artistic and confident."

Her mother Irina Budnikova explained in detail why the family decided to come and support the athlete:

"On the first day of the competition, Darina didn't do everything as planned. We were a little upset with her. But I'm probably even bigger. I said I wasn't coming today. As a mom, I couldn't help but come and watch. I surprised her by sneaking in today. But she didn't know that I would be watching. Her aunt and her cousin also came. And when she finished her performance, we shouted to her, "Well done!" And she saw us. That was such a surprise for her!"

The interregional Sky Grace Cup competition was held at the Academy from March 14th to 17th.