A gymnastics career that began with a Mommy and Me class 11 years ago will advance to a new level in Rochester, NY, next Sunday.
Taelor Nichols, her twin brother Rylan, and their mother Renae attended the Reading Gymnastics Academy’s class when the twins were two. Renae now teaches a popular Zumba class and Rylan plays tennis and soccer, but Taelor discovered a passion for gymnastics.
“Gymnastics is an individual sport, about doing your best,” Taelor declared, “but it’s also about being part of a team where we all support and encourage each other.”
At age 13, Taelor compiled the highest statewide score in the MA State meet in April, and will be part of the seven-gymnast Massachusetts team traveling to the 2021 Xcel Regional Championships’ Platinum-Diamond meet on May 16.
Taelor will compete in all four events: Vault, Bars, Beam, and Floor Exercises. To a casual observer, the 4-inch wide Beam seems the most challenging but Taelor differs, describing a training routine that begins with a line on the floor and moves incrementally to the beam’s competition height, between 100 and 125 centimeters (3.25 to 4 feet).
A seventh-grade student at the John Glenn Middle School, Taelor will play Sally in the cast of the upcoming school musical You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown livestreamed on June 11, with another cast performing the second show on June 12.
Editor’s Note: Because of the pandemic, gymnastic competitions have been held online via Zoom, with live video cameras in the gym to provide back-up should there be a Zoom glitch where a screen could freeze at a crucial moment.
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