Take it back... Back to 1997
Once my pants were in the dryer, i turned around to see a gymnast on TV. I immediately switched to meet mode: Were her fingers poised properly? Point your toes, point them hard!! Execution, grace and STICK THAT LEAP SERIES! Woah, she almost fell off the beam, that would have been .5 of a point off her score. Perfect landing!
Her hair was neatly slicked back with butterfly clips and i smiled. That used to be my life, when i was a gymnast.
When i was little, i remember seeing a gymnast on TV. I loved the way she looked, flying through the air, tumbling across the mat and swinging on the uneven bars. I can't remember her name either. It might have been mary lou renner <sp?> but i was mesmorized. Wouldn't it be cool if i could flip around like that?
I think i asked my parents if i could take gymnastics, but they either said i was too big, or they didn't have the money. That was around 7 years old.
Forward time a bit and let's go to high school. We were living in islip and my music career was growing stronger. I was in chorus and orchestra and was ready to try out for the high school musical.
Just when i was getting used to 10th grade we had to move. My new school didn't have an orchestra and they only had musicals every other year... :(
but.... they had gymnastics. ^_^
At 5'8", i wasn't your typical gymnast. Plus, unlike the other girls, i'd never been trained by a professional before. But still, i spoke with the coach and let her know i wanted to try it.
She was very supportive and didn't push me to do anything i wasn't ready to. First, she suggested i go to the summer sessions to learn the basics before the season starts. I worked my ass off, learning how to balance on a beam, turning, leaping, etc.
The season began late in the summer of 1996. My coach ensured i didn't have to compete and i didn't have to fork out $50 for the crushed velvet leotard. I insisted i was serious and went on with it.
Needless to say, i had a very basic beam routine at first. But i got to twirl and fly through the air. I worked hard and made a goal for myself. Like the olympics, each event (beam, vault, uneven bars, and floor) is based on a 10 point scale. I watched the other girls get scores of 7.0 to 9.3. My goal was to make an 8.0 on beam.
My senior year, after a lot of 3 hour practices six days a week, i made counties on the vault, and on beam, i got an 8.1. ^_^
i didn't want to drag the story out too far. I should write a book someday. Wonder if anyone would read it.
all that from watching the olympics.
Good luck team USA!
~marj ^_^
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