Video: Burbank gymnasts champion balance
Golden State Gymnastics in Burbank encourages putting in hard work to achieve set goals.
Head coach Nicole Langevin has put together a team of middle school girls who have won honors at local and regional competitions.
Coach Langevin said “these girls are home grown girls” and they’ve been at Golden State Gymnastics since pre-school. “they’ve lasted through tough times and are kind of little warriors.”
PHOTOS: Golden State Gymnastics champions put in hard work
The teenagers spend more than six hours at school and head straight to the gym for another four hours of non-stop exercise, and that doesn’t include homework time.
Flips, tumbling, jumping, bouncing and running along with high-flying acrobatics are all in a days work for these 11 to 13-year-old kids.
VIDEO: Golden State Gymnastics in Burbank
Why do they do it? “Because it’s fun and I get to hang out with my friends,” said 13-year-old Elizabeth Switzer of Burbank.
Burbank resident Destiny Whitlock, 11, likes gymnastics because it pushes her to do things she didn’t think she could do before.
“It helps get over your fear,” Destiny said, “and because it is really fun.” Whitlock has been in gymnastics since age 3.
In the summer the girls amp up their work outs to seven hours a day, gripping the uneven bars and conditioning on the vault, balance beam and with floor exercises.
Emma O’Mara of Burbank said gymnastics are her everything.
“I love the feeling of accomplishment and flipping through the air,” the 13-year-old said.
Her favorite part of her day is swinging on the bars.
O’Mara has participated in competitive gymnastics for seven years because “I was too energetic.”
“I really like gymnastics because of the meets we get go to and all the awards we get,” said Switzer.
Emma Bailey, 13, of Burbank added that she enjoys the work out and dancing is her favorite part of her work outs because of the floor routines.
“Getting new skills is also fun.” Baily said.
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