A Circle of Friends

Mike Sciacca, Independent

She has competed in such exotic locales as Como, Italy, Avignon,

France, Tianjin, China, and now, Porto Alegre, Brazil, but Jeanette

Antolin’s secret to gymnastics success lies in her own backyard.

The extremely pleasant, always accessible Antolin will be the first to

tell you that she would not be in the position to make the U.S. Olympic

women’s gymnastics team without the strong support system of her family

and friends.

She’s rarely been home, as of late, and will be in Brazil for the the

next week. But for all the airports she’s stranded in, hotel rooms she

checks in and out of, and foreign foods she would politely sample (just

give her her candy, please), Jeanette Antolin is never alone.

Her support group is just a phone call away.

“My family and friends are always there for me,” she says, shaking her

head in amazement. “They are incredibly supportive, and I know that this

would be a lonely journey without their love and support.”

Antolin is roughly a stone’s throw away from her three homes: her

permanent residence, Marina High, and SCATS Gymnastics. She has the

support of her mother at home, a core group of friends at school, and the

cheering of coaches, personnel, and fellow gymnasts at SCATS.

When she travels to one of her competitions, be it international or on

U.S. soil, Antolin often times on her return home is met at the airport

by two of her closest friends, Christie Newmeyer and Shannon Burns.

They usually greet her with flowers or candy.

“They sometimes help me pack when I leave, and meet me when I return,”

Antolin said. “They give me a good shoulder to cry on when I need it.”

On the contrary, Newmeyer and Burns both only recall good times with

Antolin.

“She’s just a great friend, always laughing,” said Newmeyer, friends with

Antolin since the fourth grade. “Even though she’s always practicing, she

always has time for her friends. I really admire her willpower when it

comes to gymnastics, and her loyalty to her friends.”

Burns says she misses Antolin when she’s gone for lengths of time during

international competitions, but knows the sacrifices Antolin has had to

make to reach this point of her gymnastics career.

“I miss her a lot when she’s away, but I’m nothing but happy for her,”

Burns said. “She’s worked so hard her entire life for this opportunity,

and I can only give her my support.

“This couldn’t be happening to a nicer person. She’s so down to earth,

really kindhearted, and probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Jeanette is always Jeanette, no matter what happens.”

But perhaps the one striking influence for Antolin has been the guidance

of her older sister, Katie, a gymnast at Cal State Fullerton.

Katie and Jeanette Antolin were accepted into SCATS Gymnastics when the

family first moved to Huntington Beach 10 years ago, and both went on to

much success.

Katie, Jeanette says, knows first hand what the pressures of a gymnast’s

life can be.

“She’s always been there for me, and she’s very excited for what’s been

happening to me,” Jeanette Antolin said. “She trained first with Don

(Peters) at SCATS, and she knows just how involving all this is. I seek

her advice whenever I can.”

For every story of success, there generally is a story of sacrifice.

This one has it, too.

With her sister, Katie, now at Cal State Fullerton, older brother,

Gilbert, a student at UC San Diego, and her parents, Orlando and Nola,

divorced, Jeanette Antolin lives at home with her mother, Nola. The two

share a lot of time together, be it at home or at SCATS, even at

competitions.

In order to see a dream come true, a family, Nola Antolin says, has to

sacrifice.

“The entire family has to give -- nobody is exempt,” she said. “You try,

as a group, to make the best of everything. You know, this is a big dream

of Jeanette’s, a big dream for all of us. This is very stressing time,

but an exciting stress. It’s been well worth it.”

With practices becoming more intense, and crucial, in the coming days,

mother knows best when it comes to dealing with a daughter who comes home

exhausted at night.

“She’s completely worn out, but she always goes and does her homework,”

Nola Antolin said. “I think the best thing to do when she gets home is

just let her be. That’s how I give her support. When she’s done with her

alone time, then she usually comes and talks with me. Plus, she’s a

teenage girl. They go through enough, as it is.”

Although Jeanette Antolin is deeply dedicated when it comes to her

gymnastics and homework, Nola Antolin feels that the Karolyi Camp, a

weekend of intense gymnastics training and competition held once monthly

in Houston, Texas, and run by USA Gymnastics Women’s National Team

Coordinator, Bela Karolyi, is the best thing to happen to her daughter.

Antolin was one of 16 girls nationwide attending last weekend’s camp,

then was assigned by Karolyi to compete this weekend at the Spieth Sogipa

International Meet in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

“I know how hard Jeanette works and how dedicated she is, but this camp

only gives her more direction and focus,” Nola Antolin said. “Plus, she

gets the chance to work out and compete with other girls who are trying

to make the Olympic team. It’s such a tough weekend, and to show you just

how tough it is, there really isn’t any room for error. If a gymnast

doesn’t follow what she’s taught, she’s replaced.”

Whatever happens in these next few months during Jeanette Antolin’s drive

to become a member of the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team, nothing

can take away Nola Antolin’s thrill of watching her daughter aspire to

her dream.

“I take pride in seeing all my kids achieve their goals, and I’m proud to

say that all of them are pursuing their dreams,” she said. “Jeanette has

tremendous drive and determination, and I couldn’t be more proud of her

drive and determination. I was very excited for her when she got a

scholarship to UCLA because that was one of her big goals. If she makes

the Olympic team, then that would be icing on the cake. But, hey, my kids

each will have had a college education. I’ve feel like I’ve done my job.”

The job awaiting Newmeyer and Burns will be to meet Jeanette Antolin when

she returns Tuesday from Brazil. Both say they plan on being at the

airport upon her arrival, just as they’ve been there to greet her in the

past.

“I was just asking her Monday night, before she left of Brazil, how she

handles it all,” Burns said. “She talks about how her body’s always sore

but you know, she’s such a competitor. She just accepts it, and moves on.

Christie (Newmeyer) and I tell her that no matter what happens, no matter

if she make the team or doesn’t make the team, if she wins a gold medal

or doesn’t win a gold medal, that she should really be proud of herself

and what she’s accomplished. Her friends already are really, really proud

of her.”