Success sweet for Banville
Hard work pushes Ottawa gymnast to brink of biggest goals

By ROB BRODIE -- Ottawa Sun

 You're sweet sixteen and you find yourself sitting on top of the Canadian gymnastics world.

 If you're Melanie Banville, that's plenty of reason to celebrate on your special day.

 "I'm in a pretty good place right now to do well," said the Long Sault native, who suddenly can comtemplate some rather dreamy possibilities as she marks her 16th birthday today.

 A place where she can see her biggest goals coming so clearly into focus. The Pan-American Games, world championships ... even the 2004 Athens Olympics.

 All within the reach of a gymnast who has stepped up in a major way throughout a season to remember.

 "I worked so much harder this year, and that helped a lot," said Banville, who trains at the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre, in explaining the string of impressive results she's compiled in this calendar year.

 Indeed, that was the lesson a year ago in Winnipeg, where Banville finished 19th overall at the Canadian championships and didn't qualify for any event finals.

 This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Not for someone who'd claimed the junior all-around national title in 2001 in Saint John, N.B.

 "It was a bit of a wake-up call for her, I think," said Tobie Gorman, Banville's coach with the Ottawa Gymnastics Club. "She knew she had to put more effort into it on a daily basis.

 "Since then, day in and day out, she's been the most focused athlete I've ever worked with ... she hasn't wasted a second of her practice time."

 Said Banville: "I knew that I had some work to do to become much better."

 And so she has. First there was a fifth-place finish at Elite Canada in Gatineau last summer. Then Banville won the individual overall title at the Jurassic Classic in Calgary. She helped Canada earn team medals at that meet, as well as the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney, and the Pacific Challenge in Anaheim, Calif. -- site of the world championships Aug. 16-24.

 Her real coming out party, though, arrived a month ago. Banville came home with five medals -- silver in individual all-around, and three gold and one silver in apparatus finals -- making her the star of the show.

 "You could see things building and building ... she got a little bit better every time she competed, and it showed at nationals," said Gorman, who was merely hoping for a top-six all-around placing for Banville. "She deserved everything she got ... this only comes because you work hard, not because it's your lucky day."

 MOVED TO OTTAWA

 Banville's determination also showed in a not-so-small life decision she made before the season -- she moved out of home in Long Sault, and billeted in Ottawa with the family of Ali Gaty, a senior-level gymnast at OGC.

 A rather substantial step for a 15-year-old who's extremely close to her family, which includes a twin brother, Eric (also a gymnast, in Cornwall), and an older sister, Natalie.

 "It was really hard leaving my family," admitted Banville, who calls home often to talk to her parents, Christine and Gerry. "But (Gaty's family) is really nice and they helped me a lot."

 Said Gorman: "They looked after her like she was one of their own."

 Banville also had to switch high schools -- she went to Lester B. Pearson this year, and will move again, to Gloucester High School, for Grade 11 next fall.

 But by then, she'll be sharing an apartment with her mother, who's moving into Ottawa with her for the year leading into the Athens Games.

 It's not a stretch to suggest Banville might be there. In fact, OGC has two top candidates at the July 12-13 world trials in Toronto -- Heather Purnell, the 2002 Elite Canada champion, was held out of nationals because of an injury but is healthy and primed to go again.

 "Both of them have an incredible shot at making the Pan-Am (Games) and world teams," said Gorman.

 "They're right in there for it."

 Get to Anaheim, and then the challenge is helping Canada qualify for Athens. The team must finish in the top 12 to make it, and Gorman said the competition to get there will be fierce.

 "There are eight countries fighting for the last four spots."

 Though the Athens Games are 14 months away, Banville says "it's far away, but it's close, too." That's why she and Purnell train with Athens in mind, not just Anaheim and Santo Domingo (where the Pan-Am Games will be held in early August).

 "Even when we're training, we talk like we're working for the Olympics," said Gorman. "We treat them like they're going ... there has to be that single-minded focus.

 "At this level, there isn't a lot of room for any doubt."

 Sounds like she could be talking about a certain 16-year-old for whom, at the moment, life is definitely most sweet.

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