Ellie LaFountain
ellafountain@ursinus.edu
Thank you, Gymnastics
For teaching me oh so many lessons. From just 7 years old when I started gymnastics there was no question that you would become my world. The long hours spent in the gym did more than just teach me how to do flips and spins, it taught me what hard work is all about. Gymnastics taught me confidence and showed me how strong I truly was. I learned how to get back up after falling and work through my mistakes. Gymnastics taught me how to make decisions and prioritize my life; missing school dances, Friday night football games, and parties was something I became used to at a very young age, yet I wouldn’t have changed my decision as those hours in the gym led to my success in competition. Gymnastics taught me how to be tough, both mentally and physically, by forcing me to work through mental blocks and fear, while also putting my body through hours of conditioning and high impact. It taught me discipline in having to master the basic skills before moving onto the fun stuff and focus on the bigger picture and goal.
I know that over the years these lessons will continue to carry over in new areas and gymnastics will continue to help guide me through life.
Thank you, Gymnastics…
For introducing me to my best friends. For allowing me to grow up with Molly, Courtney and Mackenzie; we went through everything together from 6-hour summer practices (with 10 rope climbs) to sleepovers at the gym and breakfast at The Cove Café. For bringing me to Jill, Alexandra, Lindsay and Skylar, who showed me the ropes of college gymnastics and turned gymnastics from an individual sport to a team sport for me. The teammates I have had over the years are some of the best people I have met, and I’ll cherish the moments we had together forever.
Thank you, Gymnastics…
For giving me the coaches and mentors that I have had over the years. Your words and guidance helped me become not only the gymnast I was, but the person I am today. When skills were tough and practices were draining, you taught me to keep pushing through and to never give up. Without your support, encouragement, and confidence in me, I would have never been able to achieve the things that I did.
Thank you Coach Davina, Mallory, Bogdon, Jamian, Casey, Paul, Roxanne, Craig, Tyler, Jeff, Emily, Kim, Brittany, India and many more. You were more than just a coach and made gymnastics more than just a sport.
Thank you, Gymnastics
For giving me the happiest moments of my life. The feeling of catching a release for the first time or sticking a dismount are unmatched; it’s too hard to put those feelings into words. The amount of joy felt when watching a teammate nail her routine for the first time, overcome a mental block, or score a high score is something I had never felt for someone else. The camps and clinics, like Gymrep, where for 2 weeks gymnastics was quite literally our whole lives, yet we never got sick of it.
Thank you, Gymnastics…
For helping me to grow. The constant reminder that there is always something that can be improved upon or fixed has taught me never to settle. Even with a ruptured Achilles, gymnastics continued to push my limits. It pushed me to become a better teammate, a better captain, and a better version of myself. Gymnastics taught me to have more appreciation for my body and the amazing things that it can do, while reminding me that the mind has so much power.
Thank you, Gymnastics…
You were never easy, but you were always worth it.
