Gymnast's Dream

My family and I moved to the Columbus area from Southeast Ohio in the summer of 2017. After taking some time to get settled, we allowed our 11-year-old daughter Madilyn to start gymnastics classes at Vitality gym. This was a huge deal for Madi. We lived in Florida during her upper toddler years and she had the opportunity to participate in gymnastics classes at that time. When we moved back to Ohio, a variety of life circumstances prevented her from being able to continue. Madi’s desire to continue gymnastics was not dampened. She was absolutely beside herself when she learned she would be able to pick back up on her dream. We were relatively new to the area, so I just did some internet searches and found that Vitality Gymnastics was close to our home. We decided to give it a try in January 2018.
Madi started out in the beginner class, and upon completing each session she was promoted to the next level. By early summer, she was invited to team. Madi was thrilled to be participating at the team level. She’s currently participating on the GCGC (Greater Columbus Gymnastics Conference) team and is working hard to be ready for her first competition in November.
We have seen such growth in Madi since her start at the gym. Not only in her athletic ability, but also in maturity, responsibility and commitment. Being on the GCGC team requires 6 hours of practice a week. Madi has never shied away from her time at the gym, despite being very intimidated by the commitment in the beginning. We’ve watched her go from an 11-year old “little girl” to a girl who is determined to succeed, even when it means tears on her hands, a hamstring injury caused by a medical issue, and designing and memorizing routines that she can’t yet physically practice because she must allow her body to heal. Madi’s growth and progress have been amazing to witness. I am so thankful for all that she’s learning and the way she has grown during this experience.
The sense of community we’ve experienced since being involved at Vitality is another aspect I wasn’t necessarily expecting. The coaches strike a great balance of discipline and encouragement. They push the gymnasts to try new things while emphasizing safety. They build a security within the kids to push themselves and ignore the fear they may be feeling. I’ve been able to be a small part of that community by spending a few hours working at the gym when I have the time. I was able to help organize and then participate in walking in a local parade. It was so much fun. The kids are very proud of their gym. It was so fun to see their enthusiasm as they passed out flyers to kids and parents in the crowd. I really loved having the opportunity to get to know the kids a little more through the experience. I do have to say, they are really a great group of kids and make us very proud.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Madi at Vitality. I have every confidence that with the support of her family and coaches, she’s going to do great things.

​Shae (Vitality Parent)
Madi (Vitality Gymnast: Silver Team)