CC: "I want to know what it feels like to win as a team in college. I feel like I don’t get to experience teamwork in club gymnastics because we are placed individually, so competing as a team while representing my college is one of my main goals as a gymnast."

CC: "I want to experience representing something that is more than myself as a gymnast. I love the idea of representing my college by competing for them, because it puts pressure on myself, as well as motivates me to work harder to compete well."

CC: "I could impact an NCAA team by motivating my teammates as well as myself to work hard and achieve goals. I feel like I will positively impact my teammates with my bubbly personality and positive attitude."

CC: "I think my coach would say that my greatest strength is staying positive and motivated even when I am going through any type of roadblock.

For example, if I am having a hard time getting a skill, I keep persevering with a positive mindset because I know that when learning any skill, it won’t be perfect from the start, and that repetition can help me become more consistent in the end.

I feel like my personality helps me grow as a gymnast because I am always honest with myself, my teammates, and my coaches, while also being optimistic."

How would you describe yourself outside the gym?
"Outside the gym, I always like to be productive. When I don’t have practice or homework, I am normally with my friends at the beach. I have the same mindset at school as I do at gym, which is that I can have fun when it is an appropriate time. I like to be productive with my school work so that I can have fun on the weekends. I am always busy outside of the gym because I am always having a good time with either my family or my friends at the beach, mall, and even at home."

How would you describe yourself inside the gym?"
"Inside the gym, I am a hard worker, but I also like to have fun. I feel like I work hard even when no one is watching, because I know that my ultimate goal requires self motivation and perseverance."

What are three words to best describe your personality?
"Bubbly, witty, honest."

What three words would your best friend use to describe you?
"Lively, amusing, thoughtful."

How would your coach describe you in the gym / your training demeanor?
"I try to show up to every practice with a positive mindset and a ready to work attitude so that I can make the most out of every practice. I am always up for a challenge, whether it is skill wise or even conditioning. I always communicate with my coaches whether it is just to tell them how I am feeling or if something is sore. I feel like communication with my coaches and my teammates is one of my strengths. My goal for all of my practices is to leave the gym with the feeling that I improved in some way, even if it is just a slight improvement."

What is your favorite thing about competing?
"My favorite thing about competing is the adrenaline rush I get before, during, and even after each event. I love the rush and nervous feeling that I get because it reminds myself how hard I have worked to be where I am today. I know that some people get flustered by adrenaline and are more nervous than others, but I feel like the rush helps me during competition because it makes me focus on each skill and block out all distractions."

What is your favorite memory from competition?
"My favorite memory from competition is when I competed beam at this past regional championship in 2021. Beam was my second to last event, and I knew that if I hit a beam routine like I do in practice, I would have a greater chance of qualifying for nationals. In my opinion, beam is the most challenging event to compete because it is easy to be shaky during a routine. I was very confident going into my beam routine because I knew that I was capable of hitting my routine. I just went through my routine one skill at a time, and ended with a pretty good routine! Right when I landed my dismount, I felt a sigh of relief but also a feeling of accomplishment."

What is your favorite memory in gymnastics?
"One day at practice, we were working beam routines. I was on my last routine, and beam was going pretty well that day. I decided to tell myself throughout the beam routine, “you are going to stick this,” before every skill. I stuck the entire routine, even the dismount. The best part about it was, my coach got it on video! After this routine, I realized how much confidence can impact a routine, and by positive self-talk, I just hit a perfect routine. This really changed me because now I know that if I tell myself I can do something, it is totally possible. I also learned that confidence is key in any situation."

What one thing are you most proud of yourself for?
"Recovering from foot surgery and coming back stronger and more confident in the gym. For years, I was in extreme pain caused by an extra bone in each of my feet. After missing practices and meets due to the pain, I decided to make the hard decision of having surgery to remove the extra bones in both feet. This was the best decision I’ve made in my life because my feet don’t hurt anymore! Not only did my feet heal and recover well, but I became more confident throughout the process because I had a lot of recovery time to reflect on my gymnastics. I spent a few months in casts and couldn’t do gymnastics. These months were crucial for me to recover both mentally and physically so that I could compete by the end of the season. I am proud that I pushed through the extensive recovery and came back to compete stronger than I ever have before. I am most proud of my positive mental attitude throughout the recovery process."