Gymnastics Girl

I never thought that when Nati took us down to Club 7 on that hot November afternoon in 2008 that Kezia would still be doing gymnastics.  We had figured it would be a summer activity and then be done, but she fell in love with the sport.  Over the years she has gained not only physical skills, most of which I cannot even imagine doing, but in the last while, she has really matured and grown emotionally.  For that, I'm extremely proud.  Sure, I'd love to see her go far in the sport, but the main focus has to be that it brings her joy and it doesn't consume our family.   We want it to be a part of our lives, not the total of it.

This year was her first year being old enough to compete in Canada.  Her first experience was here in Bolivia.   Kezia was so excited and nervous but determined to show the judges how hard she has worked.  In her first competition, she took 1st in vault, 4th in beam and 5th overall.  The second competition was a few weeks later and she achieved 3rd in vault, beam, and bars, 2nd in floor and 2nd overall.  It was amazing to see her and her team mates interact during the competition; cheering each other on, giving a hug when one was upset, wiping away tears, giving high fives when someone stuck her routine.  That is what creates healthy athletes.  Kezia is thrilled that she has three more competitions before the end of the year.  She's hoping to add a few more coloured ribbons and medals to her stash!  We're very thankful for the opportunity she has to do something that she loves and gives her the opportunity to grow.