I am a proud gymnast. Gymnastics was the first place where I experienced rejection, but it was also the first place where I experience success. After my first gym closed down, my mother began researching competitive teams for my sister and me to join. We attended many competitive team tryouts; despite accepting my sister, most gyms rejected me: they thought that I was too slow and not quite talented enough. Although the owner of Mid-Island Gymnastics agreed with the other coaches, he thought that I had potential because I was a hard worker. I went a whole year without competing, which is abnormal, and instead worked on my perfecting and advancing my skills. When I finally began competing I did very well: In level 8 I won vaulting and placed
