The tapping of feet on the spring floor during warm-ups.
The judge’s bell telling us its time to move to Vault.
The sound of butterflies in my stomach
My coaches telling me, ”Smile, breathe, have fun, and stick it!”
The judges flag being raised.
The sound of my salute
footsteps sprinting
The “thud” of my stuck landing
A satisfied, smiling, solute.
The congratulations and cheers of my teammates.
The exhale of disappointment because next is bars.
The jingle of the bars, kinda like Christmas.
My grips, pressed tightly, holding on for my life
The puff of chalk on my last contact
The soft landing on a mat after a perfect dismount
Applause from parents after receiving a 9.5
The excited, and tired, walk to beam
The ding of the judge’s bell, “It’s go time.”
An arabesque, done well, with a smile
A slight wobble at the end of my leap.
The gasp from my team as if I had fallen.
The three-second handstand I hold in my dismount
The joy on my coaches faces, my best routine so far this season
The “finally” sigh from the team. Its time for floor.
Our tumbling warm-up, the springs in the floor working hard to help us jump.
My compulsory music.
A stuck front flip, the first tumbling pass.
A180° leap in front of the judges, with a smile.
Terrific teammates cheering me on.
My feet springing off the floor for the final tumbling pass.
The huge smile on my face as the music stops and the final pose is struck
The walk from one gym to the next, like a walk to stardom. Awards.
3rd place… 2nd place… 1st place…
My name being called.