Gwynneth's Mom tells her Gymnastics Story
If you follow us on social media, you know our brand ambassadors. These gymnasts work hard both in and out of the gym and share their love for gymnastics and Snowflake leotards with the digital world. They are influential figures for gymnasts of all ages.
Gwynneth is one of our ambassadors. She is a Level 3/4 gymnast working hard to achieve her gymnastics dreams. Her mom Krista tells the story of Gwynneth's toughest challenge she's had to overcome: a serious injury that took her out of the gym for months. So many gymnasts face injuries in and out of the gym that make them stronger as they overcome the challenge. Here's Krista and Gwynneth's story.
What My Daughter's Gymnastics Injury Taught Me (and Her)
Gwynneth was always a ball of energy. At 2 years old, she loved going to gymnastics classes. What she lacked in ability, she made up for in enthusiasm and fearlessness. Team was not a consideration initially because the sport is so serious, and she struggled with focus. It was not uncommon for her to be spinning in circles and collapsing on the mat in a fit of giggles. A few months before her 7th birthday, she was invited to try out for the team. Gwynneth was over the moon excited about the opportunity.
Just a short month later, she was doing a round off-double back handspring on a tumble track. She failed to execute the 2nd back handspring and landed hard on her back. The piercing screams and sobs could be heard throughout the whole building. I thought my over-dramatic child was milking it - she wasn't. A trip to Children's Hospital confirmed it was bad. Gwynneth had broken her humerus right underneath the humeral head and dislocated her shoulder. Not only was her summer marred by the injury, but I also had no idea if her dreams of team were over before her first meet.
It was a LONG few months. When she came back to gymnastics, strength was an issue. Fear manifested itself in crazy places. Gwynneth was now scared to put her hands down on the beam, of slipping off the bar, and of all kinds of seemingly unrelated things.
The adage that tough things either make you or break you is true. I watched my daughter struggle with physical and mental challenges that just weren't there before. She could have quit - she had an easy out. No one would have questioned that, especially me. We make things harder on ourselves after a sports injury. Time is wasted with “what-ifs” and feeling sorry for ourselves. We can let it define our circumstances. I caught myself saying “Well she's only this old starting out because she was hurt”, telling anyone who would listen to my sob story. I let it be a reason: "Bars just isn’t her thing," for why she wasn't straightening her arms or keeping tight.
It's all garbage. Yep, after injury things might not come as easy. Levels might be repeated. You might have to overcompensate in other areas. But it normally isn't insurmountable; you might just have to work a heck of a lot harder! Gwynneth found out that her best wasn't always good enough. That's okay! While she didn't always get the skill first, she still got the skill. While she wasn't the youngest in her level, she wasn't the oldest either. While she wasn't a gymnastics prodigy, she was still able to score 37s in the All-Around.
I learned my daughter was not “the girl that got hurt”. Rather, Gwynneth was JUST a gymnast. She was and is a gymnast who has good days and bad days. Gwynneth learned how to work through some of the mental challenges that come with gymnastics, how to have patience with herself and her body, and the importance of progress over perfection.
-Krista Sheets
Mother of Ambassador Gwynneth
