In mid-March, just when I felt my momentum was heading in the right direction leading up to State, I broke a finger vaulting in practice. Just like that – ZERO POST-SEASON! For the first time in my gymnastics career, except for the COVID shutdown, I did not have any post-season competitions. It was another HUGE disappointment. With all the struggles and changes in my life during the past year, it would have been really easy to let another injury defeat me. But, deep down, I am not one that gives up easily. So, as I have done so many times in this sport, I decided not to focus on things that I couldn’t control, but instead on what I could control and to stay positive. I focused on my hands-free skills and conditioning while my finger healed. Since I couldn't compete at the state meet, I got to use that weekend to go on some college visits and attend the MAC Conference Championships. Watching college post-season meet was so much fun and reminded me to stay focused on my goals. It wasn't long before my finger healed and I realized that for me, upgrade season was starting early!
Now that it is July, I am really excited with the progress I have made on upgrades so far. I have been catching my jeager more and more on bars, have landed double pikes on the floor, I have added several new series combo options on beam and am getting more consistent on my yurchenko full in the pit. I am excited that there still is a good amount of summer left to keep upgrading and working on consistency and connections. Despite the challenges this past season, I am feeling more confident in my progress and skills and I really believe this next season is going to be my best one yet!