Seventeen-year-old Shantae-Eve Amankwaah took home a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, but her family had already returned to the UK and couldn’t be there to see her success. The Bristol gymnast gave a standout floor routine in Glasgow on Tuesday, but her parents and sister left a day before the final. At that point, they didn’t know she had qualified for the event.
Shantae-Eve admitted it was tough to win without them in the crowd. Still, she said it felt good to know they were supporting her from afar: “I wish they were here but it’s still nice to know that they’re cheering me on from home.” She called the routine the best of her career and wished her family had been there to see it.
It wasn’t her first success in the competition. Amankwaah also earned bronze in the women’s team event and placed fourth in the all-around final and fifth in the uneven bars. She described the whole experience as a chance to enjoy the moment and grow under pressure: “I just came into it to enjoy it, have fun, and enjoy the moment.”
Her father, Kevin, said they saw their daughter miss one earlier competition and thought it was a sign they should skip this one too. Maybe we had best stay home.” He added, however, that he was still “so happy for her, so proud” and said she was “over the moon. She’s going to be a happy girl when she comes home.”