Angela Walker (rhythmic gymnast)
| Angela Walker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Walker (now Subramaniam) in 2020 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Angela Gaye Walker |
| Born | 19 March 1967 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) (at the 1988 Olympics) |
| Spouse |
Kannan Subramaniam (m. 1995) |
| Gymnastics career | |
| Discipline | Rhythmic gymnastics |
| Country represented | New Zealand |
Medal record | |
Angela Gaye Walker (married name Subramaniam; born 19 March 1967) is a New Zealand writer and former rhythmic gymnast. She competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal and three bronze medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Early life and family
[edit]Walker was born in Auckland on 19 March 1967.[1] Her father, Ian Walker, served in the Royal Air Force and Bomber Command during World War II and was a prisoner of war.[2]
Rhythmic gymnastics
[edit]Walker began rhythmic gymnastics at age 9 after a friend who was in the sport told her about it.[3] She qualified internationally for the 1984 Summer Olympics, but due to New Zealand Olympic Committee policies, she was not sent.[4]
Ahead of the 1988 Summer Olympics, she went to train in Moscow with some of the best gymnasts in the world. Walker noted the intensity of training and the skill of the gymnasts she trained with, but she also said that many of those gymnasts did not enjoy rhythmic gymnastics, as she did. The experience helped her realize that she while she was unlikely to medal at the Olympics, she was content with being healthy and training by choice.[4]
Walker was on a flight when the 1988 Olympic team was announced, and she was told by the pilots that she was the only gymnast to be selected for the Olympic team. As of 2024, she is the only New Zealander rhythmic gymnast to compete at the Olympics.[4] In the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, she tied for 32nd place in the preliminary (qualification) round and did not advance to the final.[1]
Although she originally intended to retire after the Olympics, the 1990 Commonwealth Games were being held in her hometown of Aukland, so Walker decided to continue training for another 15 months.[5] At the Games, she won a gold and three bronze medals.[6] Walker said later that she appreciated the approach of her coaches, as she finished her gymnastics career healthy and still enjoying gymnastics.[4]
Later life
[edit]In 1995, Walker married Kannan Subramaniam, a doctor.[2] They have a son, Sachin.[7] She continues to be involved in high-performance sport.[8]
Walker has written biographies of her father, published in 2017, and Dame Yvette Williams (2022).[8]
Published works
[edit]- Walker, Angela (2017). From Battle of Britain Airman to POW Escapee: The Story of Ian Walker RAF. Pen & Sword. ISBN 9781473890725.
- Walker, Angela (2022). Ideals Like Stars: The Dame Yvette Williams Story. David Bateman. ISBN 9781776890279.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Angela Walker Bio, Stats, and Results — Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ a b Raman, Venkat. "Book on New Zealand war veteran launched". Indian newslink. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ The Spinoff (22 February 2021). Angela Walker’s forgotten gymnastic gold | Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends | The Spinoff (Video). Retrieved 1 July 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Angela (25 February 2021). "How Angela Walker's Olympic dream became a reality". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "Celebrating awesome New Zealand Gymnasts, have you heard Angela Walker's story?". TeAwamutu GymSports. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ "New Zealand as the Commonwealth Games host". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Beloved Olympian Dame Yvette Williams lasting legacy". Now to Love - New Zealand. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ a b Munro, Bruce (11 April 2022). "Running on air". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
External links
[edit]- 1967 births
- Living people
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand
- New Zealand rhythmic gymnasts
- Gymnasts at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Gymnasts at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
- Olympic gymnasts for New Zealand
- Gymnasts from Auckland
- 21st-century biographers
- New Zealand biographers
- New Zealand women biographers
- 21st-century New Zealand women writers
- 21st-century New Zealand writers
- Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
- 20th-century New Zealand sportswomen
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists in gymnastics
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in gymnastics