The Gymnast

Part 3

As I run around the gym. I can't help but wonder what Hazel was like as a gymnast. She's short, which is always a good trait for a gymnast, but otherwise, she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be a good gymnast. She gets easily mad and frustrates, which I know from experience is not helpful when you're trying to get new skills.

Suddenly, I realize that I'm the only girl still running around the gym while everyone else is skipping. I remind myself that it doesn't matter what Hazel was like as a gymnast, I have to focus on myself. I start skipping with everyone else.

I am one of 13 girls who are in the daytime program. My gym is relatively small, so we don't get too many gymnasts who reach the elite level. I'm a level 8, and I hope to do level 9 next season.

The 13 girls in the program range from level 7 to level 10. Two girls are on level 7, six girls are on level 8, three girls are on level 9, and two girls are on level 10. We split up into two groups; the level 7 and 8 girls go together, and the level 9 and 10 girls go in the other group.

Twelve out of the thirteen girls are here today since Courtney, a level 9, is sick, and we all run around the gym in a series of leaps, jumps, kicks, handstands, and other basic skills like walkovers and cartwheels. Once we finish running, we sit in our spots on the floor and stretch. We have assigned spots for stretching, and three girls are chosen every month to lead stretching. I led last month, so now my spot is in the back next to Olivia.

Olivia is the one of the level tens, and she's amazing. She's only two years older than me, but she's really short and muscular. I think I'm taller than her. She has bright orange hair, and she's really pale. She's also very talkative, which gets me in trouble sometimes.

"Hey Ana," she says as we stretch out our wrists.

"Hey," I whisper.

"Are you excited for the meet this weekend?"

"I guess. I'm more nervous, though."

"I'm so excited! I get to compete my yurchenko full!" Olivia says excitedly.

A yurchenko full is a type of vault. The gymnast does a roundoff onto the springboard, a back handspring onto the vaulting table, and a full twisting layout off of the table.

"Wow you're amazing! I'm just competing a tsuk," I say feeling a little ashamed.

A tsuk is also a vault. The gymnast jumps on the board, does a roundoff onto the vaulting table, and a back tuck off of the table.

"That's still amazing!" Olivia says. She's always really cheerful.

"Thanks," I say.

I bring my focus back to my stretching. I'm one of the most flexible girls on team, so I want to stretch correctly and get even more flexible. When we finally finish stretching, it's already 9:45.

"Levels 7 and 8, get to bars! Levels 9 and 10, get to floor!" Hazel yells. We all scramble to our events in silence, hoping not to get yelled at any more tonight.