Stella Umeh

{{Short description|Canadian artistic gymnast, actress and performer}}

{{Infobox gymnast

| name = Stella Umeh

| image =

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| fullname = Stella Umeh

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| country = {{CAN}}

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|5|27}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario

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| discipline = WAG

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| collegeteam = UCLA Bruins (1994-1998)

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| module = {{Infobox person|child=yes

|notable_works= Varekai}}

| eponymousskills =

| retired = 1998

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}

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Stella Umeh (born 27 May 1975) is a Canadian former artistic gymnast and current actress and performer. She competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics placing 16th in the all-around.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gymn.ca/gymnasticgreats/wag/umeh.htm |title=Stella Umeh (CAN) |access-date=2014-03-16 |archive-date=2012-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212232806/http://www.gymn.ca/gymnasticgreats/wag/umeh.htm |url-status=dead }} She is of Guyanese and Nigerian descent.{{cite book|author=Dan Gutman|title=Gymnastics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UsnUxfFEQxUC&pg=PT112|date=1 August 1998|publisher=Penguin Young Readers Group|isbn=978-1-101-16065-7|pages=112–}}

Gymnastics career

Umeh's first big international meet was at the 1989 American Cup in Fairfax, Virginia where she finished fifth.{{Cite web | url=http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1989.pdf | title=USA Gymnastics Online: Results: 1989 McDonald's American Cup | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221114838/https://www.usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1989.pdf | archive-date=2018-12-21}} She then competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games but was originally an alternate.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/may-birthday-profile-stella-umeh/ |title=May Birthday Profile: Stella Umeh | the Couch GymnastThe Couch Gymnast |access-date=2014-03-16 |archive-date=2014-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407120134/http://www.thecouchgymnast.com/may-birthday-profile-stella-umeh/ |url-status=dead }} She won a gold medal with the Canadian team.1990 Commonwealth Games#Artistic She competed at the American Cup again in 1991, but placed 8th.{{Cite web | url=http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1991.pdf | title=USA Gymnastics Online: Results: 1991 McDonald's American Cup | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221114837/http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1991.pdf | archive-date=2018-12-21}} She went to the 1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She finished 17th in the all-around.1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships In 1992, Stella started her season at the American Cup in Orlando, Florida, USA and finished 7th.{{Cite web | url=http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1992.pdf | title=USA Gymnastics Online: Results: 1992 McDonald's American Cup | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221114839/http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_1992.pdf | archive-date=2018-12-21}} In April, she competed at the 1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Paris, France. She qualified to Vault and Beam finals, but placed 8th and 5th.1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships#Women Later, she qualified to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She finished 16th in the all-around, and 10th with the Canadian team.{{Cite web | url=http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/1992_olympic_results_20080430_031223.pdf | title=USA Gymnastics Online: Results: 1992 Olympics | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221105643/http://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/1992_olympic_results_20080430_031223.pdf | archive-date=2018-12-21}} In 1993, she went to Worlds and placed 15th AA and 8th in the FX final. In 1994, she went to the 1994 Commonwealth Games and won 2 golds and 2 silvers, as well as placing 4th and 5th in Floor and Beam finals.

= College career =

In 1994, she accepted a college scholarship to UCLA and started attending the school in 1994.

Throughout her four years at college, she won three golds, three silvers and one bronze at the NCAA Championships. She was twice the Pac-12 conference all-around champion.List of Pac-12 Conference champions#Gymnastics

Acting and Entertainment

Stella studied Theatre at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in the hopes of becoming an actress.{{cite web |url=http://www.motivatecanada.ca/files/athlete/biographies/Stella%20Umeh.pdf |title=Stella Umeh - For Introduction Purposes |accessdate=2014-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407093918/http://www.motivatecanada.ca/files/athlete/biographies/Stella%20Umeh.pdf |archivedate=2014-04-07 }} In 2000, she joined Cirque du Soleil and performed Mystère in Las Vegas. In 2002, she performed in Fire Within and then in Varekai as a triple trapeze in 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1329100/|title=Stella Umeh|website=IMDb}} She played small roles in Ghostly Encounters and Delroy Kincaid. She recently had a leading role in a stage play called, 'Pinteresque' which will be in the SummerWorks Performance Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/esteemteam/athletes-13-stella-umeh |title=Stella Umeh - Athletes - Welcome to Motivate Canada! |accessdate=2014-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407093920/http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/esteemteam/athletes-13-stella-umeh |archivedate=2014-04-07 }}

Currently, Stella lives in Australia.