02/03/2026
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank every single person who has supported us in these dark times. It was truly a celebration of our sweet Gracie at ACA this weekend, & that’s because of how amazing & supportive everyone was.
We also want to thank you to the ACA Staff for working with us when we asked for changes & for doing more than you really had to. You all truly went to extra mile for our Express family to honor Gracie & it made our weekend. Thank you so much for your kindness & empathy, we couldn’t have done it without you.
We are so proud of our athletes, staff, & families for showing up with so much strength, authenticity, & kindness. There were many times where the staff was blown away by how resilient our athletes are, hitting routines while grieving the greatest loss we’ve ever felt; we couldn’t believe it.
Sunday morning, several of our Senior & Junior athletes & staff went to see Gracie one last time at her Hope Walk, where she would be donating her organs to help other people. Gracie was a giver, always helping others, so we knew this was fitting for her. Our athletes went from seeing their friend for the last time to competing some of the greatest routines just hours later—some of them even had to compete twice.
There were moments where the staff all looked at each other & had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. Whether it be our placements, performances, or bids—we were uncertain. The staff all agreed that if things are meant to be, that Gracie’s got us. Along with our athletes strength & resilience, we truly believe Gracie had a helping hand in all the amazing things that happened.
We cannot express how thankful, proud, supported we have felt while we’ve felt so many emotions. Having all athletes placing in the top three this weekend is something we weren’t expecting, but we could not be more proud of them. They put everything on the floor and showed everyone what it means to Do It For Gracie. 💛