Although gymnastics may not be the most popular sport, there are many high level gymnasts here at Amador. Some of the high level competitive gymnasts include juniors, Mia Reeve and  Nick Franken, as well as many more. 

The sport of gymnastics is an intense and time consuming commitment. Practices and competitions often conflict with schoolwork and balancing the sport with school and a social life can be challenging.

Mia Reeve, who competes as an artistic gymnast, has been training for 12 years. She is currently a level 8 gymnast and is training at level 9, meaning she competes at both a state and regional level. Reeve practices for 20 plus hours a week, and although it may be challenging at times, she works hard to keep up with her school and homework. 

“ACCESS days really help me get homework done. Really using time management helps every day,” said Mia Reeve (‘21). 

These Amador student gymnasts perform high level skills in a number of different routines, including vault, bars, beam, floor, and trampoline. They train for hours a day to perfect these skills, and truly enjoy practicing and performing them.

“My favorite skill is called a triffus pike. It is a triple front flip when you are grabbing your knees and your legs are straight and on the last flip you do a half twist and face the other way” said Nick Franken (‘21). 

Nick competes in trampoline and tumbling, another type of gymnastics. Franken competes at Sr. Elite, which is the highest possible level and the same level of Olympians.

Additionally, these students are able to travel all around the nation competing in an array of competitions for their gym and their state. 

“We go to a lot of different competitions. I’ve been to some in Hawaii, we’re going to one in Colorado this year, Arizona, and all around the nation,” said Mia Reeve (‘21).

At these intense competitions, athletes are able to take time away from their routines, and enjoy just being a kid for a while.

“When I was younger I went to this meet called the Hollywood Invitational and it was really fun because we got to be all fancy and Hollywood style,” said Reeve (‘21).

Most gymnasts who compete at this high of a level have been training since an early age. Franken has been training and competing for seven years, while Reeve has been practicing gymnastics for a total of twelve. 

Each gymnast has a unique story of how they originally got into gymnastics.

“My mom just signed me up when she found out I was doing back flips on the trampoline in the backyard,” said Nick Franken (‘21).

By putting so many hours of practice and training into the sport of gymnastics, these athletes must have a true passion for the sport. Many find freedom in the art of gymnastics and receive joy while competing in it.

“There’s a lot of freedom in it. You get to do something you don’t really get to do in any other aspect of life. You get to flip and jump and leap and that’s really cool,” said Mia Reeve (‘21).

Although many students at Amador may not realize how vast the world of gymnastics reaches, these talented young gymnasts of Amador are helping to bring awareness to the sport of gymnastics.

These students, Nick and Mia included, move in ways that are accomplished in almost no other activity and are extremely successful in the sport despite their young age.