Welcome to Our New Ambassadors!
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. This week, we are featuring stories from Ambassadors Charlee and Trishana. They wanted to tell the Snowflake community a little bit about their gymnastics journeys. First up we have Charlee, and she is going to tell us about the ups and downs in her gymnastics journey.
My mom says she knew I would be a gymnast even when I was still in her belly. She said I was always moving and rolling around and she just KNEW. When I was 4, my parents put me in my first tumbling class. And ever since then, it's the only thing I have wanted to do.
When I was asked to be on a competition team when I was almost 6, I was SO EXCITED! The 2016 Olympics were going on and I wanted to be just like Simone Biles. At my very first competition, in my very first event, bars, I fell off in warm-ups and got the air knocked out of me. It was so scary! But, I got up. I competed. And, I won first place! I was hooked!
The next year, I changed gyms and got a new coach that I had an immediate bond with. He is amazing and I learned so much from him (plus, we share a name! How cool is that?) After our first competition of the season, he had to move on. I was crushed! I knew he was the one that could help me achieve my gymnastics dreams! But, I continued to work hard and finished the season. I was even a state champion on vault!
The next season, I developed Sever's Disease. I was a level 5, and my feet were in constant pain. I competed in a few meets, and it wasn't the best season, but I am proud that I pushed through what I could until my doctor put me in a boot. My season was cut short, but so was everyone else's soon after, due to COVID.
Now, I am a level 6. I am taking the year off from competition but am still working hard to improve myself. I have learned that gymnastics is tough! But, if you can push through the tough times, the benefits are so rewarding. I'm so physically and mentally strong! And I know my strength will help me throughout my life, no matter what I am doing!
Thank you for sharing your story with us! Make sure to follow Ambassador Charlee on her Instagram, @chardogflips!
Next we have Ambassador Trishana, and she is going to tell us about how she got her start in gymnastics.
Hi there! I'm Trishana, and I'm 7 and I'm in pre-team! Unlike a lot of the bigger girls, I'm just starting my gymnastics journey.
I'm an Army kid, which means we move around a lot. Back when I was 4, my mom decided I needed an outlet for all my hyper energy and settled on gymnastics! We were living in Germany at the time and well, the German gym only spoke German (which of course makes sense!) and I didn't, so that was out. Mom found a small gym on post. It was really a couple of converted classrooms. I started going twice a week. I LOVED it! Until I didn't.
You see, since Army kids are constantly moving around we restarted the program whenever there were new kids. I didn't mind for a while, but by the time I was moving, I was pretty sick of it.
When I was 6, we moved back to the States and mom found a gym in our new town. I did rec gym until last winter when I tried out for team! I was so excited! But then COVID-19 hit. We didn't know what was going to happen. No gym. No school. No nothing. Talk about a big change!
Later, I found out I had made team! Well, pre-team to be exact. We didn't start up until July, and we won't be competing this season. But I can't wait until we do! I love watching the big girls compete, and can't wait to be out there with them!
My favorite skills right now are all on floor, though bars is my favorite event. I really love working on handstands and am just starting back handsprings, which so far are super fun! I can't wait to try the tumbling passes the big girls do.
My biggest challenge so far has been moving from rec to team. The rules are very different. Back in rec, the minute I got a skill I could start trying the next, but obviously team isn't like that. Form matters, skill matters. It's taken a lot of getting used to, but I'm working on it!
Thank you for sharing your story with us! Make sure to follow Ambassador Trishana on her Instagram, @gymnasticscatgirl!
Do you have a gymnastics story that you would like to tell? Tell us in the comments below!
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