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 decided to hand things over to Nevaeh, one of our ambassadors, so that she could tell you her gymnastics story and experiences! She talks about the challenges she's faced over the years, both with gymnastics and her own inner obstacles she's working hard to overcome.
"I Am An Overcomer"
When I was around 2 years old, my mom started me in a small “gymnastics” group at a tiny gym where we live. This was a workout gym and we used some of the room to the side. We worked on different rolls, handstands, cartwheels, small balance beams on the floor, and just basic things. I was flipping all over the house and on the furniture, so Mom thought, “Why not gymnastics?”
Beginning at around 3 or 4 years old, I started gymnastics in real training gyms. Over the years, I have gone to a few different gyms. I’ve gone to a couple of them twice, including the gym I am at now. There are various reasons why we’ve changed gyms so much. One reason was that we thought we were going to move to a different town, so we were going to a gym further away from home, near a school I was attending at the time. Other reasons were due to social and emotional reasons. The feelings of not fitting in, not feeling good enough, worries, anxieties, and a mixture of emotions.
While on my gymnastics journey at these gyms, I noticed I just wasn’t gaining the skills as fast as others. It was so frustrating. With my cartwheel, I just could not get one of my legs straight. It was so frustrating. I didn’t know why I couldn’t get these skills. Why was it so much more difficult for me? I wanted to be a great gymnast. I wanted to be on the team like the big girls and do all the amazing skills I had seen them do. I wanted to be awesome like Simone Biles. I loved gymnastics. Sometimes if I couldn’t make it to practice when I was smaller, I would cry because I wanted to go so bad. There were even a couple of times when I had no gym.
Now, I am a worrier. I take a lot of things to heart. When I say I am a worrier, I do not mean “Oh, I’m worried if I will get a good grade on my spelling test.” No, I worry A LOT. I’ve always been like that. Yes, I did and still do worry about my grades. Getting a B to me is not ok. But I worried about a lot of things a little kid should not worry about. I always thought nobody liked me or they were talking about me like I didn’t fit in. My feelings always got hurt easily, but I also always had a big heart. I had little quirks about me that I didn’t want anyone else to know about, especially kids. I didn’t want to be any more different than they already thought I was. All of this is a lot going on in a kid’s head, especially when you are trying to just be a kid, you’re trying to learn to play sports, and you’re in school.
I’ve worked super hard over the last couple of years. I was able to move to pre-team. Then I was able to move to Xcel Bronze. Last year was my first year competing on Xcel Bronze. I was a nervous wreck every meet. My heart raced, I shook, my stomach got upset, I doubted being there, and I just kept thinking “I’m not good enough”. I didn’t place or get scores like I wanted, but my scores did improve over the season. Soon vault, my worst event, was becoming one of my better events. I tried to be proud of myself. I kept working hard. I was doing 4 nights of practice a week, plus tumbling. Why was I not getting as good as I wanted to be? Why was I still not getting the more advanced skills to move to Xcel Silver?
“Why” has always been the big question. Like I said, I’ve worried more than any kid should worry ever since I was little. Intense fear, racing heart, chest pains, stomach pains, headaches, extreme worry about the past and future, expecting the worst, fear of what people think, racing thoughts, panic attacks, just to name a few of the things I feel. We all have our quirks, but I hated feeling different. I didn’t understand what was going on in my mind and my body. How could I control this? I have an anxiety and depression disorder, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder, and neuromuscular reflex difficulties. Wanting to be perfect, have multiple thoughts about the same thing, and need to follow a routine, or else I have anxiety. Hating to be touched, needing lots of lights, sensitive to sounds and smells, picky eating, over-stimulation, hating the way certain clothes feel, especially if they are tight (wearing a uniform to school was very difficult and ended in tears many times), trouble with getting stronger and understanding and getting my body to move how I want it to.
At times, it is very overwhelming. But I am who I am - I am me. I am caring and loving. I am silly and will dance anywhere I hear music. I love the Step-Up movies and Pitch Perfect movies. I have been through a lot of things that have taken an emotional toll on me. For example, I just switched gyms mid-season. I am learning new routines to compete with them, and working with new girls, but I do know the coaches because I was previously at this gym. I’m a little nervous, but I love it so much at this gym. I feel like I belong.
This year I am competing as second-year Xcel Bronze. Am I where I want to be? No. Why? Why do I have so much fear? How will I ever be the gymnast I want to be? How will I be like my gymnastics hero, Simone Biles? Well, now I know some of the why, and I know I just have to work harder than others. I may have to learn different ways to do things in gymnastics and other sports, but that just shows my passion and determination. I have a great support system with my coaches, my parents, my Snowflake Designs family, and my Instagram family. I may not be the best gymnast, the skinniest gymnast, the prettiest gymnast, but I keep going. I can do this. Believe in yourself. Trust me, I know it’s hard. So, if you think you’re “different” and you can’t do it, you’re wrong. You can do it. If I can do it, you can do it. I will be a great gymnast. I will reach my goals. I will overcome. I will live my dreams. Never stop.
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