CRASH!!! I jump around and see someone sprawled on the floor crying...it’s my friend Sara. She gets back up from landing hard on her hands (and face), but she’s still crying. I can’t believe this just happened; we have as competition tomorrow. I doubt she’ll be able to compete for the next two months. Gymnastics is a scary and dangerous sport.
I realize she just tried a back tuck. Her back tucks were never great, especially at the end of her routine. All the coaches stared wondering if or when she would be okay. She doesn’t even want to go ice it!!! She her shoulder or even broken her neck. As she tries a final round-off I can’t even imagine could have dislocated the physical and mental pain she must be going through knowing about our big meet tomorrow.

Competition Day!! Sara still hasn’t gone to the doctors. I heard from my friend Lauren that she’s going to compete beam and vault. I could never do that. As she comes towards me, I look at her hand. Basically all of her fingers are bruised and her entire hand was swollen. I was about to ask how she would do beam and vault, but I got rushed away. As Sara skips bars, I don’t know how she manages not to look miserable. She smiles that bright, fun, bubbly smile at the judges and sits down. I don’t know how she does that knowing about all of the meets coming up that she won’t be able to do.

Thank God, she finally went to the doctor’s office. Oh no. She’s in a cast…and out for at least a month. She’s going to miss the Virginia meet and the Kick-Off Classic. I Hope she’ll get over that.
….Day of the Kick-Off Classic. “Sara!”, I scream as she walks through the door with her pink cast on. I can’t believe she made it. It’s amazing that she cared enough about the team to take an hour and a half ride to see us compete. If our team comes in first, I’m making sure she gets to hold the trophy.

Having a broken hand in the middle of the season is probably the hardest challenge she will ever face in her gymnastics career. Some how she managed to struggle through the tough times that would have been near impossible for me. She came to the gym 16 hours a week a week which is a long time when 8 of those 16 hours is just conditioning. I learned that you can never give up even if you have set backs in life. In just 4 weeks Sara has taught me so much. I’m positive that when she comes back, she’ll be better than ever.