What level are you?

I was a level 9 by the time I finished high school, and then I went on to compete for four years as a division III college gymnast.

What are your favorite events?

Beam and floor.

What are your favorite skills?

Front tumbling/twisting (especially rudies!), toe-fronts off bars.

Who are your favorite gymnasts?

Alicia Sacramone, Aly Raisman, Chellsie Memmell, Bridget Sloan, Beth Tweddle, Ksenia Afanasyeva, and many other elite and NCAA gymnasts I’ve had the pleasure to watch on tv or see in competition!

Where did you train?

I am originally from New Hampshire and competed club gymnastics there.

How old are you?

23

How tall are you?

5’1

What is life like after college and gymnastics?

Since graduating I have become a gymnastics coach and judge. I plan on being a lifelong advocate for the sport of gymnastics. I also want to look into being a public speaker to advocate for college gymnastics, as my team was cut (and reinstated 2 months later due to public outcry) at the end of my junior year. Another coach put that idea into my head, and I’d like nothing more than to share my story with other athletes, students, and administrators to help make sure that no other college gymnastics team has to go through what we (and unfortunately, many other teams who were not so lucky) went through. I am also thinking about becoming a lawyer.

How long have you been coaching? Where do you coach?

I coach at a gym in New Hampshire, and I started after I graduated college.

What do you think of coaching?

I absolutely love it. Like any job, it has its challenges, but it is so rewarding. I’m grateful to have a job that I absolutely love doing. My girls are awesome to work with and they give me a reason to smile!

Favorite events to coach?

Beam :] Hate coaching vault with a passion!

How do you become a gymnastics judge?

Please refer to this post or this one

How long have you been judging?

I took and my tests for levels 5-8 (and 4 if I want to) in August of 2012. I plan on certifying at 9 and 10 as soon as I can :]

Piercings?

Just my ears, one hole in each. I have a bad allergy to most metals so I never wear earrings.

Tattoos?

Three. See this post.

Advice to gymnasts or people who want to get into gymnastics?

It is an absolutely incredible sport and I encourage those who, despite however old you might be, to try to take adult classes if they want to. You’ll never be an olympian, but you might be able to learn a few party tricks and get some great conditioning and confidence. For those of you who are already gymnasts: don’t ever give up on your dreams. I am living proof that if you keep pushing, good things will happen to you. I fought through injury after injury, and even had my team cut for a few months, and I was able to overcome those obstacles and qualify for DIII Nationals as a senior. However hard it might seem, or however great the obstacle, believe in yourself. You can do it!