Pep talk

Peppijna Dalli's slight frame belies an uncanny strength, best displayed when she whirls her petite physique and supple limbs around a bar with apparent ease and no fear whatsoever.

After completing a series of stunts that see the 10-year-old gymnast looping in the air and landing neatly on a narrow strip, she folds her arms and her toned muscles protrude.

Peppijna's toughness is not surprising when considering she trains twice daily for six hours from Monday to Saturday. The national champion on uneven bars, she has a goal in mind that her supportive parents and Chinese coach believe she can achieve: Peppijna wants to be the first Maltese girl to win at the 2009 Games of the Small States of Europe in Cyprus next June.

Bearing that ambition in mind, she was sent for intensive training to China last summer, followed by another training camp in the UK, with coach Stan Wild, a 1970s UK Olympian.

The idea was to give her exposure to the Chinese way and allow her to be inspired by other gymnasts, says her dedicated coach Albert Chun, who has taken a year off lecturing at the university to focus on Peppijna's training, in the belief that she has the potential to be a champion.

"She is promising," he claims, as he talks her into attempting a back flip on a beam - a move she hasn't made in a while. The mental preparation is almost more important than the physical, and Peppijna and Mr Chun have a calm conversation about it - no chiding; no stress. The determined little girl concentrates, clearly unwilling to throw in the towel. When she is ready, she just does it.

But it is not only Mr Chun who plays a role in Peppijna's path to the GSSE. Her parents, Major Alex Dalli and his wife, Stephania, are totally focused too.

"We have decided to create a situation around her that would be conducive to success in her training programme. We have spoken to her school to stress her less as regards the academic aspect."

In fact, Peppijna has a stress-free existence, so she can concentrate on her training, doing her homework in between sessions - and she is still top of the class. The collaboration of her school, St Joseph in Paola, is vital, Major Dalli highlights. It allows her, for example, not to attend on the eve of an international competition so she can train. Arrangements have also been made to use the sport facilities of the AFM, San Anton and Chiswick House School after school hours.

It may not be the normal scenario for a Maltese child, where the focus is on the academic side of education. But Major Dalli says: "I want my daughter to be happy, and she is happy training. We have an open relationship and long talks before she goes to bed to understand what she wants..."

Peppijna's well-being is also the concern of the Malta Olympic Committee, which offers the young athlete psychological treatment, mental and physical monitoring, her father says, praising the "good system" in place.

Sending her to China was painful. "We had to sacrifice her...," says Major Dalli. The independent child even flew back alone. But he feels the sport is also improving her personality, her positivity, self-confidence and self-discipline - qualities he deems as important as academic achievements.

"We are results-oriented and we are striving to achieve a balance between that and keeping her happy," he says. "It is not just gymnastics, but about making her a better person through it."

Peppijna won the bar national title when she competed for the first time in April, up against gymnasts of all ages. Her score has reached 11.5 - just under the number of points garnered by the Maltese boy who placed third with 11.8 points in the Monaco games in June. Her coach is confident it will increase to 12.5 in a few months.

Peppijna practically fell into gymnastics, her mother being a coach. As a toddler, she would play in gyms, while Stephania worked.

A day in the young girl's life today entails waking up on her own steam at 5 a.m. to start training by 6 a.m. before school starts. She only watches five minutes of TV at 5.30 a.m., while having breakfast, and at 8.15 p.m. before going to bed.

Peppijna may not live the life of her peers but she doesn't feel she is missing out.

Sunday is sacred and her parents make it a point to do something special, so "she can be a girl".

"No one wants to take her childhood away, but knowing what she will achieve through hard work, we are pushing her to train."

See video interview on timesofmalta.com