Name: Christa LeJune
High School: Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS)
Favorite Subject: “My favorite subject is English. I adore reading different kinds of literature.”
Hobbies/Sports: “I am a member of the Anime Club at WAIS; I love to read and watch anime, then discuss my comments with the club.”
“I am a gymnast at Stars Gymnastics, currently training Level Eight. I spend most of my time at the gym working on my skills and perfecting my technique. I have sacrificed a lot of normal teenage things for gymnastics.”
How long have you been doing gymnastics? “I did gymnastics when I was really young, but I quit for two years to take care of my mom while she was sick. When I went back to gymnastics, I had to start from scratch because I lost all my skills. It has been about four years since then.”
What is the hardest part about being a teenage gymnast? “Gymnastics requires an unheard of amount of dedication and time commitment. It is hard to sacrifice things in order to make meets or practice, but we do it because we love to do it. The workouts are also really hard; sometimes I just want to cry it is so difficult. Gymnastics is a tough sport. Scoring is often based off the idea of a perfect routine, which is not even possible; sometimes it feels like you have failed before you even compete because the pressure for perfection is so high.”
How do you handle the pressure? “Stars Gymnastics is really great about dissolving the perfection standards. We are trained to focus on personal best rather than being the best.” In what ways have you benefited from doing gymnastics? “I think by immersing myself in the sport, I have grown more responsible and developed strong leadership skills. My team has become my family which is also really cool. We spend so much time with each other every day and have grown really close. Gymnasts have a certain appreciation and understanding of each other – It is something I cannot really explain.”
Favorite Music genre/artist: “I like listening to heavy metal and scream. Paramore is my favorite band. I have seen them three times in concert.” Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird - “The plot is timeless and can be relatable to readers no matter the generation.” Career and College Plans: “As a sophomore, it is hard to say exactly what I want to do. I am really passionate about literature, so maybe something in the English field. As far as college, I have been looking at Alabama State. However, I plan on keeping all options open.”
-- This report compiled by Communications Dept. Intern Kali Venable.
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