Every movement matters to Ewan McAteer with perfection being the only acceptable outcome.
This attention to detail might be the reason for how gymnastics and dentistry come together in a unique combination.
Sport NI Athlete Award recipient McAteer is an all-rounder in Gymnastics which consists of competing on floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar with vault being his speciality out of all the disciplines.
Away from the big apparatus, the Lisburn gymnast uses smaller tools in his job as a dentist: “I always had an interest in the likes of surgery.” Said McAteer.
“I looked at medicine as well but thought dentistry was a better fit for me. I have zero regrets. I absolutely love working as a dentist. The amount I can apply from gymnastics to my work is something that’s really surprised me.
“The ability to manage stress and keep calm under pressure as both can be stressful fields. But I think my background in gymnastics has allowed me to kind of learn how to focus when they need to be focused on.”
This journey though began as a four-year-old with Ewan being a self-proclaimed energetic kid: “Mum probably needed a bit of a break from myself and my brothers so put us into Salto Gymnastics Centre, where I still train today.
“I had a bit of a natural affinity for the sport. I loved the freedom and movement, there was big open wide spaces and I could do tumble overs, cartwheels and do what I want.
“It’s certainly not the most common sports that you find people doing. I think the wow factor of the sport really drew me in. The ability to do things that most humans don’t even think are possible is something that I think makes the sport special.”
The wow factor of gymnastics would eventually win Ewan over to create a future in the sport. He took part in his first international competition at the age of 11 when, as Ewan admits, he was more interested in Pokemon.
During his younger days, it wasn’t just gymnastics but many sports that shaped Ewan into the person he is today. He explained: “Sport has probably been the biggest thing in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I was playing rugby and football and trying loads of other sports.
“It really has given me kind of the appreciation for what hard work, dedication and focus really can do. Sport, I would say, is my life and it always will be a massive part of my life for as long as I’m alive.”
But sport can come at a cost and Ewan suffered a devastating achilles injury in the build-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The injury took him out of action for nearly two years and is only now getting back to full fitness: “I’ve been quite unlucky throughout my career to have a lot of injuries.
“The most recent one was a devastating injury, particularly coming just before Paris. But, using the knowledge that I’ve learned from previous injuries and surgeries I was able to not only recover but put methods in place to make sure that it never happens again.
“It’s a tough journey to keep going when you’re injured, but at the end of the day, the love of the sport really keeps me going.
“Thanks to the Sport NI Athlete Award, I have been able to access the medical care that I needed to get back to full fitness and compete in competitions to achieve Commonwealth Games qualification scores.”
And now, after winning the Welsh Masters Vault competition in February after his spell on the sidelines, Ewan has one goal in mind, he said: “The prime target is the Commonwealth Games coming up in the summer. That has been the focus of my career for the past few years. Everything’s been building towards this and realistically, winning vault is my aim.”
Athlete Award funding is made possible thanks to National Lottery players, who raise over £30m for good causes every week.