"Olympic" Gymnastics Meet

 Arete did another meet for their own gymnasts. Tessa and Damon both wanted to compete. This one was the Olympic Meet, and they started with running the Olympic torch around the gym and lighting the "flame." A lady that ran the torch in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake helped the kids pass the torch. It was a fun way to start the meet.

Damon's only been doing gymnastics for a few weeks, but he was excited to show us what he's been learning so far. 

He likes the rings and the bar. He loves going to class every week and practicing at home. It's been fun to see him develop new skills.

Tessa's first event was vault. When we were driving to the meet Tessa said, "I'm not going to mess up on my vault this time!" She sure didn't mess up! She hit the springboard just right and did a beautiful handstand flat back on the mats. Her coach was there to spot, but Tessa didn't need any help. It was beautiful!

Her next event was beam. She looked great throughout her routine, but she did fall off once. She recovered well and didn't let the mistake get in her head. 

Next was the bars. I was watching from up on the stairs, so I didn't have a great view. She did great though, and it was fun to see her do some things on her own that she needed a spot on at the last meet. I love to see the progress she's making!

Tessa's last event was floor, and she did awesome on this one too.

While the judges were totaling the scores, they had a "javelin" competition with pool noodles. Damon won the gold medal in javelin for the younger kids age group. :)

He tied for 3rd place in the all-around for the boys events, and was thrilled with his bronze medal!

Tessa took 1st place in the all-around for her level again. She was so excited to earn another gold medal!

It was so fun to watch Tessa and Damon both do something they love. We're very proud of them for working hard at class and practicing hard at home. Great job Damon and Tessa!!

The owner of Arete called the week after the meet and said that Tessa's coach let her know that Tessa and Morgan are ready to move up another level already. They've only been in The Jets class for about a month, but their coach said they both work so hard and have just connected with this sport. Their form is awesome and they're progressing quickly. Tess and Morgan are excited to move up because the next level is even longer class time. Tessa wishes she could go to gymnastics every day of the week. :)