Mary Sanders (born 26 August 1985 in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

) is an American individual

Rhythmic Gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, fle ...

. Mary holds

dual citizenship Multiple citizenship (or multiple nationality) is a person's legal status in which a person is at the same time recognized by more than one sovereign state, country under its nationality law, nationality and citizenship law as a national or cit ...

of both the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, as her father was American and her mother is Canadian. She began her career representing Canada but began to compete for the USA in late 2002. Sanders is a two-time Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion and three-time U.S.A. Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion, 4 Continents Champion, 2 time Pan American Champion and earned the title of one of the most successful Rhythmic gymnast in the Western Hemisphere, alongside Laura Zeng and Evita Griskenas

Career

Sanders had her highest placement finishing 10th in all-around at the 2003 World Championships. Sanders represented America in the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, placing 15th in the qualifying round. She has since retired from rhythmic gymnastics and is employed by

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

. Sanders performs on a freelance basis within the Special Events department of Cirque Du Soleil, but has previously toured full-time with

Corteo Corteo is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on April 21, 2005. As of May 24, 2005, Cirque du Soleil had broken its record of spectators for the première location in Montreal; more than 200,000 p ...

and

Delirium Delirium (formerly acute confusional state, an ambiguous term that is now discouraged) is a specific state of acute confusion attributable to the direct physiological consequence of a medical condition, effects of a psychoactive substance, or ...

. Sanders is also a creative collaborator and Spokesperson for the

Reebok Reebok International Limited ( ) is an American footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had bee ...

and Cirque du Soleil JUKARI program. More recently, Sanders was one of the Creative Directors for the 2012 Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions. As a Rhythmic Gymnast, Sanders has ranked higher at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships and Olympics than any competitor from the Western Hemisphere in history, until Laura Zeng's performance at the 2015 World Championships. Sanders was chosen for induction into the

USA Gymnastics United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. It sets the domestic rules and policies that govern the sport, promotes and develops gymnastics on the grassroots ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

in 2009.Carly Patterson Chosen for Gymnastics Hall of Fame
SI.com, February 3, 2009

References

External links

Mary Sanders Official Website

Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions

Reebok Jukari Diary

Mary Sanders USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame Bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Mary 1985 births Living people American rhythmic gymnasts Gymnasts at the 2003 Pan American Games Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics Gymnasts from Toronto Olympic gymnasts for the United States Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics Competitors at the 2001 World Games Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games 21st-century American sportswomen

Career

See also

References

External links