Desislava Ivanova and Zornitsa Boneva at the age of 16

We were born in the nice Bulgarian town of Varna at the Black Sea coast. In our town, two world rhythmic gymnastics championships in the Palace of Culture and Sports were held. We have only heard and read about the Fourth Championship in 1969 while, in 1987, we belonged to the youngest spectators at the XIII. World Championship. Our parents did not expected at all that their five-year old girls could be so strongly interested in the art gymnastics.

 

Palace of Culture and Sports, town of Varna

Some months later we took them away to the gym hall where, after the successful selection, we started our regular training. We were only just turned five when we overcame the second barrier by taking the entrance examination in the sports school we are attending now. Art gymnastics is one of the most popular sports engaging Bulgarian girls and women. It corresponds most entirely to their aspiration for beauty, gracefulness, and womanliness. In amateur groups it is done for health, nice figure, and self-confidence. In girls actively engaged in sports, however, the congenital feeling of delightfulness requires a huge work and an unbending will. Being acquainted with the history of the rhythmic gymnastics plays an important role for their motivation.