Antonella Belén Rocha Muñoz had a thousand thoughts running through her head as she stepped onto the gymnastics mat.
She was about to compete at the 2025 South American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Cochabamba, Bolivia, representing the Peruvian national team — something she’d been working toward since she was 6 years old.
Before the competition, she had prayed to God, placing everything in His hands. Trusting that God would take care of her, Rocha decided to just enjoy the moment.
“I think that balance between nerves and excitement was what helped me shine,” she said.
And shine she did — Rocha won the gold medal for Peru in the senior duo category, according to the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom site.
Standing on the podium singing Peru’s national anthem, Rocha felt deep pride and relief, she said. She also felt appreciation for God.
“More than just an athletic achievement, I feel this gold medal is also a testament to how God works silently,” she said, “guiding every step and giving me the opportunity to experience something so great.”
Developing Christlike attributes through challenges
Rocha, a member of the Olaya Ward in the Lima Perú Tahuantinsuyo Stake, has learned a lot about God and herself through rhythmic gymnastics, a sport combining gymnastics and dance.
“I believe God gave me this talent and passion for gymnastics not only to compete,” she said, “but also to grow as a person, to learn values like resilience, humility, patience and faith in the process.”
Rocha said there were times throughout her training when she felt tired, doubtful and frustrated. In addition to competing in gymnastics, she attends university, and she said finding time for both gymnastics practices and studying can be burdensome.
Through it all, Rocha trusted that every challenge had a purpose and that God would help her discover that purpose.
“Whenever things got difficult, He gave me the strength to continue, and when this victory came, I felt it was His way of showing me that hard work is always worth it.”
The lessons Rocha learned through gymnastics apply to life in addition to the gym.
“I learned that results come when you work with discipline, faith and passion,” she said. “I feel more motivated, more confident and even more eager to continue growing and achieving goals both athletically and academically.”
Relying on family
Rocha’s gold medal is bigger than just herself. She said she relied heavily on her family and team when she needed extra strength.
Rocha’s father, Augusto Rocha Arotoma, prides himself in supporting his daughter temporally, emotionally and spiritually.
The week of the competition, Augusto gave his Antonella encouragement via remote pep talks then prayed fervently for God to watch over her.
He said watching his daughter win the gold medal was a “difficult feeling to describe,” as he remembered the years of hard work and sacrifice she had given.
“This further strengthened my testimony that God does listen to us and grants us what we long for in the time that He decides and believes is necessary,” he said.
