She is not even 16 years old and has already started writing her own international history. Afanasia Mesiri became the 7th^V Greek woman who participated in the finals of the European Gymnastics Championships. He competed in the jumps and finished 7th.^V position in her first appearance in women’s competition. Despite the problem with an injury to her right leg, Nasia completed her jumps without showing any signs of pain and looked ready for new challenges in the future.

A smile almost always adorns the face of a midget sportsman from Patras. Her eyes may lose their brilliance for a while if the exercise in the program does not go quite the way she wants. At these moments, the question is reflected in them. She then turns to her trainer and asks him, “Tell me what should I do?” And those six words fill Ilias Tsopanoglu, who already has 40 years of coaching experience on his resume.

“I am lucky to have this girl in my life at a time when I feel ready to support such a talented child. Before this talent, sometimes, when some exercise is not completed, I become anxious. And then Nasya calmly looks at me and says “tell me what to do.” This “tell me”, this trust, on the one hand, is a huge burden, and on the other hand, I am lucky that I train an athlete of this level,” said Ilias Tsopanoglu on the website www.kathimerini.gr.

Afanasia Mesiti was born in Patras and began to practice mass gymnastics. Athletes of Ilyas Tsopanoglu also trained there. Despite her young age, the little girl was peeping at how the elders were doing the exercises. However, an experienced coach was also engaged in “peeping”. When the group in which Nasya participated was disbanded, she talked to her parents and suggested that the baby go to G.S. Atlas of Patras. And so it happened. “He has an amazing ability to copy and assimilate what he sees. She watched over the older kids and when she joined us I could tell she was ready,” he told us.

“Coach’s Joy”

From the age of nine, Nasia Mesiri joined the Atlas team and immediately showed that she was … born for this sport. “She loves gymnastics and lives it. She is an athlete that I could only describe with the phrase “the joy of the coach.” You tell her one and she understands ten. All he asks is “what should I do”, stressed Mr. Tsopanoglu.

The European Championship in Antalya was the first competition for Nasia in the women’s category. Despite not having a coach with her, she showed that despite being almost 16 years old, she is a complete athlete. She reached the finals in ski jumping and in the individual competition took the highest position among the Greeks. The news about the qualification caught the mother of the young champion washing the car at the gas station where she works. “I went and told her. She let go of the hose and jumped for joy in the soapy water. These moments for a coach are something unique. I also qualified as an athlete through television. Nasia worked deeply and did a great job. She is very good on vault and balance beam. She has a large set of exercises, and we are experimenting to understand what suits her,” the experienced trainer emphasized.

With a dream of participating in the Olympics

She may be one of the best jumpers in Europe, but Nasi’s life is not only about the gym. A high school student who scores over 19 is studying to be a physiotherapist and at the same time dreams of wearing a bodysuit with the national emblem at the Olympics.

Coach Ilyas Tsopanoglu also dreams of her, but he knows better than anyone the difficulties of this … path. “We are alone in Patras. The slightest help would be a stepping stone for the girl to rise higher. We need to make sure this lasts. But children, Nasia is our future. We are now waiting for the results of the rankings to see who qualifies for the World Championships as the worlds are qualifiers for the Paris Olympics. From the age of 13 he tells me: “Sir, I want to go to the Olympics.”

On April 25, Atanasia or Nasia Mesiri will take part in the World Championship, which will be held in Cairo. She will compete in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercises. Almost 16-year-old athlete began to follow the path of her dreams. Each step seems like a pebble with which she builds her sports future.