MULTI-TALENTED 14-year old Milan Prahaladh left for Portugal last week, to compete in the international Scalabis Cup gymnastics competition in the city of Santarém.
The Grade 9 pupil from St Dominic’s Priory achieved gold medals for both his events – double-mini trampoline and Eurotrampoline – at the Madiba Cup gymnastics competition in Cape Town in April. It was this performance that earned him a place in the Madiba Cup Tumbling and Trampolining team travelling to Portugal. All the participants have to pay for the trip themselves.
Although he only started trampolining with coaches, Mandi Marais and Kyra Marais, at Junior Jungle Gym Kidz in 2018, he thrived under their tutelage and was selected for the Eastern Cape team to compete at the national SA Gym Games the following year.
At the EC Gymnastics Annual Awards in April, Milan received a trophy for achieving a bronze medal at the SA Gym Games in 2022.
While most senior gymnasts spend hours training several days a week, Milan’s sports commitments and extramural activities only allowed him to train once a week until very recently.
He plays the guitar and achieved distinctions for both his Trinity College of London classic guitar exams (Grades 3 and 4). Besides the guitar lessons at school, Milan takes private electric guitar lessons with well-known guitarist, Dr Howard Nock.
Milan is a member of the school Marimba band and also represents his school in water polo and hockey.
Although he only cycles on Sundays, Milan has participated in the last two Herald Cycle Tours.
One of the youngest riders on the day in the Herald Cycle 55km event, he finished 59th in a field of 284 mostly adults in a time of two hours and two minutes this year, an improvement of 10 minutes over his 2021 finish time as a 13-year old. At school Milan is no slouch either, receiving badges for academics, diligence and courtesy at their most recent prizegiving.
