Snowflake Ambassador | Ava
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. For this week’s blog,we wanted to bring you a story from one of our ambassadors! Ambassador Ava and her mom Stephanie wanted to tell you all about her gymnastics journey during these unprecedented times. Take it away!
In March 2020, Ava had been doing gymnastics for 8 years and competing for 3. The week before the pandemic closed everything down, we were in the middle of deciding to switch gyms for a new atmosphere and the ability to homeschool while at gymnastics.
Initially, it was hard for Ava to feel like she belonged at a gym when everything closed since she had not officially started at her new gym. But then her new gym invited her to join Zoom workouts with the rest of the team and gave her workout challenges to do at home. She started to get to know her new coaches and some of her new teammates.
Ava threw herself into trying every gymnastics challenge and workout we could find online to keep herself in shape and not get bored at home during quarantine. She stayed connected with her friends and old teammates through Zoom and playing games. We even celebrated her 10th birthday with a drive-by parade. Through all of this, Ava kept a great attitude, still trying to learn new gymnastics things and become stronger.
Then June came, and she finally was able to go in person to her new gym, although she was nervous because Mom and Dad could not watch due to COVID. Little by little as the summer passed, Ava fell in love with her new gym. She made new friends and got to know her new coaches. Then, in the fall, we started the adventure of homeschooling alongside gymnastics. This could not have come at a better time with COVID. Ava was able to have more time at home with family and friends by having gymnastics practice and school during the day.
Then the next competitive season came, and we had no idea if these girls who had worked so hard during a pandemic would even get to compete. But with a lot of work from our gym and the host gyms, we were able to have meets. They looked a lot different, with just one or no spectators per gymnast and all of the rules that came with a pandemic. But to see the joy on Ava's face due to being able to go out there and compete made it all worth it.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! If you would like to follow Ava’s gymnastics story further, follow her on Instagram, @ava_rosegymnastics. Do you have a gymnastics story to share? Post it in the comments below!
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