So the story goes: (a novel for those who have time to kill)
It was April 20th, 1998 (my 16th birthday) when Kathryn and I competed in the biggest gymnastics competition of our lives. What we didn’t know then was that it would be our last. I had competed three of 4 events and had gone into my last rotation (uneven bars) in a position of placing and qualifying to nationals. This was huge and pretty much what I had been working towards my whole career. My coach was very adamant about me throwing an extremely difficult dismount (a full twisting double back flip) that I had recently learned in the gym. I’m convinced that part of it was pride in what he had taught me and wanting to show it off at this big meet. Regardless, in doing this dismount I would receive bonus added to my score and he felt that it was what I needed to place. In warm ups I was coming closer and closer to hitting the bar each time that I released (I could even hear the audience gasping ) yet my coach was still very persistent that I do this dismount and not an easier one. I saluted the judge, and began my routine. Everything was going perfect until the release (as I had presumed). I did my giants and my tap swing , and then as my feet rose in preparation for the release of the bar I held on slightly too long and pulled in launching my body over the top of the high bar as opposed to out in front of it. I followed through with my skill (as you are supposed to) while my head barely missed the bar and my feet caught and threw me to my back on the floor. With the breath knocked out of me and a few broken toes I laid there in disbelief. I knew that my chances at nationals were over. Not only did I not get my bonus, I also didn't get credit for dismounting because I had not landed the skill.
Kathryn’s final event was vault where she found herself in a similar situation. Our coach wanted her to throw a vault that she had a problem landing. Sure enough, Kathryn ran down the runway, blocked off the horse, and landed (knees locked). She fell to the floor screaming. I, at the time, was in the audience and ran onto the floor. EMS arrived and carried her off to an emergency surgery to salvage her knees, while I phoned her family and gave the paramedics all of her information.
Over the next few days, Kathryn had several surgeries and 5 screws and a bone graph later, flew home only to remain in a hospital bed in her living room for the next month. With two full leg casts and a whole lot of inner strength Kathryn and I sat there and reminisced on our lives that had been completely taken over by this sport.
Our lives were gymnastics and that was it. On a typical day I woke up at 5:45 am to attend a required church class of my church at the time. I would then go to school. After school I would run anywhere from 3-6 miles for cross-country practice. After practice I went directly to gymnastics and practiced at the gym from 4-9 pm. At 9:30 I would get home in order to microwave whatever my family had eaten for dinner, to shower, and to start my homework. This was the week life. The weekends were filled with gymnastics practice or competitions.
So, as we sat in Kathryn’s living room we decided to quit on what we had dedicated our lives to since age 6. It was a hard decision and we cried about the thought of giving up on the only life we knew but, at the same time, we knew it was what we had to do. We feared letting our parents down since we had access to college scholarships. But, 6 more years dedicated to the sport seemed torturous.
We thought that I should try to transfer schools since I didn't have any sort of social life at my previous school. Kathryn had me convinced that I should come to Castle Hills and start fresh. And the plus side, I could still spend every day with my best friend regardless of whether or not we were doing 5 hours of gymnastics. The process of actually making this a reality was not easy. 1.) I had to convince my Mormon parents that being at a Baptist school wouldn’t change me, 2.) Convince my dad to pay for half and that it was necessary for me to attend private school, and 3.) Convince the school that I, the little Mormon girl, wouldn’t come in and shake up the peace in the Christian environment. All were hard sells but fact of the matter is that they sold!
And for that decision….that one little hard fought and hard sought decision of quitting gymnastics and transferring to c hills I have my husband, my best friends, and most importantly my faith.
I will forever be thankful for Castle Hills and all the blessings it brought to my life!
10 years later: a reunion with my besties--
