02/01/2026
From the outside, it might just look like a gymnast sitting on a mat… waiting for her turn to compete.
But when you’re her parent, you see so much more.
You see countless hours of training…
all for a routine that lasts about a minute.
You see the days she didn’t trust herself yet…
and the ones when she attacked a new skill like it was hers all along.
You see the practice pick-ups where she climbs into the car in tears over a skill she just couldn’t nail…
and the days she can’t wait to tell you she finally did.
You see the moments she wanted to quit…
and the ones when she chose to get back up and try again.
You see the moments when her nerves overwhelmed her…
and the ones when she learned she could feel them and still push through them.
The scores and the medals are part of it.
But we know they’re not the point.
It’s showing up when it’s hard.
It’s getting back up after a tough fall.
It’s challenging her body and defying fear.
And long after the competition ends, those lessons are what stay.
That’s what we see as parents every time she's out there.
And we hope one day, that's what she also sees in herself.
That no matter the score, or how many medals end up around her neck...
We hope she sees just how amazing she is.
--
The Top Bleacher
