Q) Tell us a little bit about yourself in general.
A) I am 18 years old. I have an older brother, Patrick, who is currently attending the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. My interests are: movies, baking, cycling, and watching the X-Files, Days of Our Lives and Party of Five. I also love to shop.
Q) How old were you when you started gymnastics? Where? Coaches?
A) I started at age 6 because I was really energetic and loved to jump and climb on household furniture. My first coaches were Karen Henderson and Vitaly Bard.
Q) When did you determine that you were talented enough to compete nationally/internationally?
A) I never really determined my capabilities myself. I was always striving for success and new opportunities, like national and international meets, by working as hard as I could and putting forth 100% into my training.
Q) Do you have a favorite gymnast? Who? What is it about that gymnast that you like in particular?
A) My favorite gymnast is Svetlana Khorkina because she performed beautifully and because she has a unique style and personality which she expresses while performing every routine.
Q) What is your favorite apparatus? Why?
A) When I broke my ankle (twice - I was constantly working bars). Thus, I have come to enjoy them the most.
Q) What was your best competition performance?
A) My best performance was at the 1996 National Championships - second in the all-around and second on the floor. I was in amazing shape and could perform my routines very well. I made two finals as well - beam and floor.
Also, the Elite Canada in 1997 was great in that I actually scored a 10.05 on bars!
Q) Favorite competition location?
A) The arena in which I competed at 1998 National Championships because it was warm and nicely decorated. Also, it was right across the street from the training arena (easy access).
Q) Interesting travel experiences through gymnastics competitions?
A) My most interesting travel experience was when I went to the Ukraine for a team competition. Four girls were squished into a small, cold room, without a decent shower or properly flushing toilet! We also had caviar and bread to eat for all meals.
Q) Tell us about your collegiate recruiting experience. Who recruited you, how many visits did you take, and at what point did you decide to attend the University of Alabama?
A) I took three visits: Alabama, LSU, and Oregon State.
I enjoyed all of my recruiting trips, but Alabama did indeed catch most of my attention. The Alabama gymnastics team (coaches and gymnasts) were really friendly and accepted me as part of their team even though I was only a recruit.
Q) What skills are you currently practicing and do you expect to contribute on each apparatus this season?
A) Currently practicing full-in bar dismount and a round-off mount on beam. I hope to contribute high scores on bars and beam and consistent performances on floor and maybe vault.
Q) What are your academic and athletic goals for the upcoming season?
A) My academic goals are to study and learn as much as I can to receive a degree.
Q) Do you have a best and a worst experience involving gymnastics?
A) Best: Receiving my first international silver medal (on bars) when I was 14 at the Puerto Rico Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Worst: I was in Puerto Rico for an international competition. The day of the meet I went swimming for three hours and I burned to a crisp. It was so painful to have a gymsuit on and to move around. Despite the discomfort I performed very well and earned two international medals. |
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