Behind The Account: Team.stili

Behind the account team.stili, is Magi, a 17-year-old retired gymnast from Bulgaria. 

When she was about 5, she wanted to take up a sport, and her mother initially took her to a karate class, but she refused to do it. So next she tried rhythmic gymnastics, and like many of us, fell in love with the beautiful and unique sport. She competed in many competitions, but the most memorable was the 2021 Bulgarian Championships, where she won a medal with her team. After 9 years of doing rhythmic gymnastics, she sustained a serious injury and had to take an almost 2-year break from the sport. However, she was still very passionate about it, and as she recovered, slowly began training again. 

However, balancing school and rhythmic gymnastics was a lot, and as education became a bigger pressure in her life, she officially quit to focus more on it. In this article, Magi shares more about her journey and inspiration behind her account. 

What do you think rhythmic gymnastics has taught you? 

“Rhythmic gymnastics has definitely made me stronger in terms of mental endurance. Simply learning to cope with my inner self, which sometimes doubts what I can do, has helped me a lot.”

About her Art 

“Ever since I was little, I’ve been really expressive in my drawings, and it’s definitely a passion I've had from a young age. It’s a hobby that helps me deal with anxiety and stress. If I have to be fully honest, I had never actually thought I could draw people, so one day I just decided to give it a try, and surprisingly, it worked. It wasn’t really good, but with hard work and practice on a few more drawings, I realised that I could actually do it. So that’s how I ended up doing a few sketches of Stili, and I’ve been able to give them all to her.”

What inspired you to start your account about Stiliana? 

“In my 2 years away from rhythmic gymnastics, I felt extremely nostalgic and missed it so much, so I just started watching more international competitions. I had never heard of Stiliana until the 2022 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Then I saw her performing for the first time. The first routine I witnessed was her hoop, and it brought all kinds of emotions for me. I knew she had something different in her, and that made me more interested in her journey. So I did my research, and I saw that she’d be performing at the European Championships that year. I promised myself I'd watch it and support her. During the qualification days, I was inspired to start this account.”

Have you ever met Stiliana, and what was your experience? 

“Yes, I’ve met Stili about 4 times. I don’t know much about her personally, since I'm just a fan, but she’s always been super kind and caring.”

What do you think about Stilianas' style as a gymnast? 

“Her style in rhythmic gymnastics is really unique, and that’s what makes her stand out. I feel like she has that charming energy on the carpet that would make anybody wanna watch her, even if they’ve never heard about rhythmic gymnastics. 

I definitely think she has brought so much uniqueness to rhythmic gymnastics, whether we’re talking about elements or just style in general. Many older gymnasts look up to her, and she’s a role model to a lot.”

Do you have expectations for Stiliana in LA 2028?

“I don’t want to set any expectations for the LA Olympics, because in 2024 that’s what we all did, and I think it had an impact on Stiliana. I just wish her the best of luck, and I hope that she will be calm, perform confidently, and show her best performance. We’re all with her, and we’ll always support her!!”