By Elise Julian

When James Hardy steps onto the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) competition floor for his Commonwealth Games debut today, he’ll carry more than the pride of representing Australia.

He also carries a special tribute to his mum, Sally.

Earlier this year, Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing surgery, she is now in remission, but her recovery meant she was unable to travel to Glasgow to watch her son compete in person.

Instead, she’s cheering him on from home alongside Hardy’s dad, David, and the rest of their family.

Wanting to make sure his mum knows she is with him every step of the way, Hardy and his Australian MAG teammates Jesse Moore, Benjamin Foster, Tru Hagens and Ritam Malik each painted a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon on their nails while they were together in staging camp last week.

It’s a small gesture with enormous meaning, symbolising the support the team has for one another both inside and outside the arena.

“It says a lot about this team that the boys were straight in when I mentioned it,” Hardy said.

“Mum’s recovering well, but she misses watching this one in person, so it matters to have her with me in a tangible way.”

For Hardy, the pink ribbon serves as a reminder of the resilience his mum has shown throughout her cancer journey and the unwavering support she has given him throughout his gymnastics career.

The Australian team will compete in the MAG team final on Saturday 25 July, 2:30am AEST.