Hi Everyone :) This is a piece written by one of our favorite Yellowberry girls, Tori. Read below and learn about her journey with gymnastics!
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I have been doing gymnastics for almost 10 years. I am 13 years old. It has been an awesome part of my life for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite things is my friendships with the girls on my team. We have so many fun memories, experiences, and laughs together. You get to know people pretty well when you practice with them over 20 hours a week. Gymnastics requires strength, so we condition for 1 hour each day. I love surprising some of the boys in my class when we are doing something strength related.
The hardest part of the sport for me, is battling fear. When flipping on a four-inch beam, there is always going to be a "but what if" thought, just as there will be in life. One of my favorite things that my coach tells me is "What if… you make it?”.
Gymnastics has taught me many life skills such as perseverance, teamwork, and commitment. Last year, I had a rough start on beam, my hardest event. I was terrified and it wasn't getting better. But I kept trying. Then at state, I qualified for Regionals (a 7 state meet) which is as far as I can go at my level. At Regionals, I ended up winning first place on beam. This taught me so much about how perseverance pays off, not just in the gym, but in life too.
-Tori
