When I walk through the doors of a gymnastics meet I usually think of what my mom always tells me:
“Just do your best and whatever happens, just remember to have fun, that’s all that counts.” I still am thinking of that in the back of my mind, but this time around, and I really want to place and get good scores. I mean, it’s the Olympics!
When I was four years old I started gymnastics because I was doing ballet before. But thought it was too girly, and my mom and I thought that gymnastics was the perfect fit! I went to a kids club in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and now and then wanted to quit. I quit the first time (and the last!) when I was in 6th grade; then I came back because I couldn’t live without gymnastics! I lived in Wisconsin till I was 18, and now I live in Hollywood, CA and 24/7 I train with my personal coach, Jackie. I still live in Hollywood, but right now we both rent apartments in London for the Olympics this fall/winter.
All the time I wish I was in the states at home in Wisconsin with my parents and my brother Ryan. For one reason or another, my parents and my brother Ryan know when I miss them, and they decided to surprise me and come in three weeks before the Olympics. They rented a HUGE apartment to cheer me up until the Olympics. My parents and my brother Ryan help me get through everything, like one time when I had a relationship and it ended they comforted me(it was kind of funny!).

When I walked into the gymnastics stadium in the Olympics, all I noticed was that it was huge! Or at least that is what I thought.

The first event was floor. I had to do 80 pushups, 100 crunches, and 20 back hand springs.


I looker over and saw my enormous amount of family members (and when I say family members I means aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, 2nd cousins and a ton of people I don’t even know), but the one person that caught my eye out of the whole Brady Bunch of them was my mom. She was holding a sign saying: GO Jordy Rae GO! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Usually that would embarrass me and still would a little bit but, right then I loved it!


After I had that touching moment I snapped back to reality and heard Jackie was yelling at me and saying. “THE OTHER GYMNASTS NEED TO START GETTING JUDGED! AND YOU’RE NOT HELPING STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR!!” Let me tell you that was a very embarrassing moment! After about 20 minutes of hearing screaming people cheering for their family members, it was almost my turn to go onto the floor and do my floor routine. I was so terrified from that moment on until I went on to the floor; then it went away. Jackie said my floor routine was amazing but I always think I could do better.


Floor was done and I was headed off to vault, then on beam I did amazing (in my opinion) and the time flashed by. But my favorite event was just about to come. I got to go on my bars, and everything went perfect. I double and landed perfectly so I was ecstatic. Overall my scores went pretty good. I won first in bars and vault, and got second in floor and beam. (But as usual I was waiting for the moment to happen when they would call for all-around. Who would get first and second? I was tied with a girl who seemed to be nice but had a look that said she was going to win no matter what. Her name was Nina Smite.) “In fourth all-around Sophie Grim, in third Yang Ho, in second with 1 point in difference is…………. “And in first place Nina… Jordyn Heisdorf. My family went WIIIILLLLLDDD! I can’t even explain them.










EPILOUGE

It is 30 years later and I still think back to the days when I was a gymnast. I was on my computer and found out that I forgot to tell you who got 2nd! One of my now closest friends, Anna Sophia Gran, actually did the Olympics one more time and ended up taking first! I decided that after I had won the Olympics I was going to retire, find my own life, and do what I want to. I went to college to be a teacher. After I got my degree, I managed to be a full time teacher at the age of 25,and have two wonderful kids But the one thing that surprised me the most that I decided to do was become an entrepreneur and start my own gymnastics academy in Santa Monica. I am amazed how many people show up. I am happy.