Flexibility, agility, and strength, these are all qualities required to be a high level gymnast; Anya Patel has them all. Last season she received many awards: 1st on floor at Conference, All Conference, and she qualified for State. Patel competes on bars, floor, and the all around 

Growing up in Gymnastics

Since the age of 7 Patel’s time has been consumed with flipping, leaping, and learning choreography. It all started when one of her friends started gymnastics classes, inspiring her to do the same.

She started off at Big Gymnastics gym and then moved on to compete on a club team at Premiere Gymnastics. It was a large time commitment, she made many close friends, and got to travel—she even got to go to Texas. Right away she began to fall in love with the sport and went to practices for fun, but then it started getting more serious as her skills got more advanced around the end of middle school and beginning of high school. 

Mental Blocks and Injuries 

To level up in gymnastics new skills must be acquired. Though learning these tricks can be frustrating due to a very common obstacle for gymnasts—mental blocks. 

Patel believes that this complication is derived from a fear of messing up and having a huge injury. In her experience, to get over them she has to re-learn the skill by starting with the basics and working her way up until she gains more confidence. She has mainly struggled with mental blocks on bar dismounts and double backs on the floor.

So far in Patel’s gymnastics career she has broken her foot, but coming back from it was not bad and with physical therapy she was back on track again. So her main frustrations with the sport have been mentally induced. 

High school vs. Club Gymnastics

Patel has competed with Premiere, club gymnastics, and Hinsdale South, high school gymnastics. Club is more intense with 3.5 to 4 hour practices every night. These practices are more challenging and coaches expect more from the gymnasts. Club competitions are taken more seriously and it is less of a fun environment than High School gymnastics. 

“Everyone is focused on winning and that’s it” Patel said. In high school everyone still tries their best, but also is there to have fun. Patel did Club freshman year and if she wanted to go to college for gymnastics she would have stayed with it, but the coaches were too intense and did not always create the healthiest space.

What’s Next?

Patel plans to continue gymnastics for the rest of her high school career, but not in college. She still loves the sport, but she wanted to practice and compete in a more laid back environment where she could still improve. Patel also has a great  relationship with her coaches and teammates now. 

Real Life Lessons

Though Patel is not continuing in college, she has learned valuable lessons from this sport. It has helped her focus on things in the moment. 

“Things will work out” she said, “Everyday is different and some days you will be able to perform certain skills and other days you won’t, you just have to be able to trust the process and yourself and give yourself time.”