Gymnastics at its Finest

Chapter 28

Our last event is floor. One of my best. I can do this.

I'm not competing my full in this competition. I'm competing a two and a half, a double pike, a one and a half to a double back, and a front double full punch front. I just got that pass about 3 weeks ago, but it was very solid and a lot more consistent than my full in. But it doesn't give it that wow factor, which may be what I need to win.

Our team is winning by about a point. That's pretty good. But all it takes is one or two falls, and we could lose. It's that easy. As for all around, I have no idea where I stand.

I'm lined up to go last. Makes sense I guess, but it makes me that much more nervous. Mia is 4th, Liv is 5th, Mattee is 6th, then Kristin, and then me. We do the warm up, and begin competing. After every turn, the coaches keep looking over at this little screen that tells us where we stand awards wise. Two girls fell on their tumbling passes, but Mia stuck all of her passes to get a 9.7. It's already Liv's turn. She does a good routine, but her landings could have been a little cleaner. She sticks the very last past and rolls to the floor for her ending with a smile. Her music stops and she salutes to the judges. She gets a 9.5. Mattee goes up to wait for her turn. She salutes to the judges and starts her routine. She sticks the first two passes, but on her two last passes she goes out of bounds. She has a slightly disappointed look in her eyes, but she still salutes with a smile and walks off the floor. She gets a 9.4.

Now it's Kristin's turn. She steps out of bounds on her first pass. After this happens, Cliff calls me over.

"Mickey, I am so proud of how well you have progressed these few months. Both physically and mentally, you have improved a ton. And right now, we need your help. We're only a few tenths away from losing. I want you to do your full in." Cliff says.

"My full in?! I haven't even warmed it up, and I don't know if I'm ready...."

"I know you are. We have one more touch, and I'm going to let you warm one up then. But Mickey, please be confident. You have so much ability. We need this, 'wow,' factor and I know you have what it takes to make the judges look. We need you to pull it off. You can do it."

Just as he says this, Kristin salutes and walks off the floor. I run to the corner to see Cliff standing at the other end, ready to spot. I let my body take over, and run. I hurdle, do the round off, backhandspring, and set for the full in. I land short and put my hands down.

"It's okay Mickey. That's all we need for warm up. You've got this."

I wait for the judges to salute me, and my mind is racing. What if I land short again? What if I hurt myself? What if I bail? But before I know it, my arms are raising up in a salute and my body takes control. I pose and my music starts. I dance to the corner and take a huge breath, getting ready for my full in.

"Confident." I think to myself.

I start running, I hurdle, I do the entry, and then I start twisting. I hear cheers, and then I feel my feet find the floor, and lunge out of it. I just made it. In fact, I made it perfectly. I hear cheers from all around the audience as I smile and dance into my leaps. The rest of the routine is a complete blur until I throw my head back on the ending pose, a huge smile on my face. I salute to the judges and run off the floor into Cliff's arms.

"You did it!" he yells.

"I did it!" I exclaim.

Liv and Mattee come over and we share the biggest group hug ever. We turn to the score board and see my score. 9.9. I smile another huge smile and hug my friends again. This moment, this glory, this is why we do this crazy sport. It's hard and extremely tiring. It causes injury, frustration, and tears. It causes so many ridiculous things, but these moments make it all worth it. And being here in a group hug with my best friends in the entire world, this is when I realized it.

That is when I witnessed Gymnastics at its Finest.