With the London 2012 Summer Olympics right around the corner there was a lot of hype surrounding this year’s 7th annual HealthQuest Gymnastics Exhibition. Held at HealthQuest on Friday, June 15, was a combination of young and old gymnasts performing on vault, bar, beam, floor, and tumble track. Red, white, and blue covered the Sport Center and decorated each athlete in portrayal of their theme “Team USA”.
The gymnasts, led by their instructors, walked single file to the beat of the Olympics theme song to open the event. Soon after their entrance the Star Spangled Banner and the National Anthem was sung beautifully in alto range by Jan Coey. Before the gymnasts performed there were two very exciting demos. Opening was the Ninjastics students and instructors who demonstrated their sport as a combination of martial arts and gymnastics. After their demo, the HQ Cheer Team flaunted their well-choreographed routine filled with lifts, dance moves, and cheers.
Finally the event performances began. Each division started their event simultaneously in different corners of the floor and rotated every thirty minutes. Each gymnast participated in every event; they displayed great strength, balance, and coordination.
As each gymnast completed more events their expression lit up with astounding amounts of pride and accomplishment. Whether they practiced for months or for years, each gymnast was satisfied with how they exemplified all the hard work they put into gymnastics. Although the gymnasts were the main focus of the night, HealthQuest’s Gymnastics Department also had reason to celebrate. Over the past seven years the department has grown exponentially. This year’s gymnastics community had more divisions and age groups than ever before. Terri Buondelmonte, head of the department, and her staff are gratified to see the growth and development of HealthQuest Gymnastics.
Big thanks to Terri Buondelmonte, gymnastics staff, parents, and students. Also to Jan Coey, HQ Cheer Team, Ninjastics staff, and HQ administration.