Happy Birthday, Keli!

On January 21, 2008, Keli showed up to work out. She was the only one (it was MLK Day).

"Fall down 7 times, get back up 8."
-Japanese proverb

Happy Birthday, Keli! Here's to posterity and a memorable moment in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving! (Sorta!)

I've known Keli for 5 or 6 years, at least. For some time now, I'd look over at her and notice her doing more sitting than gymnasticking; or looking pensive. I guess it was predictable: Last week she clued me that when this session ends, she was done. She wasn't progressing, and her mind wasn't into it. Tuesday night after Robyn and I were done with our advanced class, she sat down with us and announced it was her last day.

Most of the footage in this film was shot that day:



Keli leaving makes me sad in a way similar to what it felt like to have the gym close down. Same with Gianna (I didn't even know she quit within a session at LASG, until weeks later). I know that it was probably her time to move on; but it's still always sad to have a chapter close; especially when things end on a note like this. She just felt she was wasting her time and her parents' money if she wasn't going to get better and pursue gymnastics in college.

I hope she treasures her memories and the skills she did manage to develop through gymnastics. I remember trying to talk her into moving up to team for a couple of years before she finally left the intermediate level nest. It seemed like her excuse had to do with money; but when I mentioned it to her dad one day, there was no indication of that and she moved up shortly thereafter. It was like he didn't know she had an interest.

I miss the beautiful young woman she almost is ("almost", not because she isn't beautiful, but because she's still breaking out through her teen years) and the scrawny little booger she once was (not that she wasn't always beautiful back then either).

She says she will pursue pole-vaulting. Maybe she can come in and workout once in a while, since p-vaulters do a number of the same conditioning exercises as gymnasts.

I'm thankful for the memories you've given me, Keli- good and bad! Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck and hope you always celebrate life to the fullest. Viva la vida!

Keli's New Release Move/Dismount

I recall last week, Al telling everyone they could come early to practice on Monday, since it would be MLK Day. Meaning: No school.

So we had a big turn out of one. Shame on those who didn't come; you missed out.

Keli decided to test out the bar mats with a new "skill":





I doubt you'll be seeing her compete that maneuver.

I doubt you'll be seeing her train it, either.

Hopefully not.

Maybe it's time to don the red cape....maybe it's time for the return of... SuperGymnast ?

Then and Now

In the last music video I made, I posted a picture of Keli and I from 3 years ago. Here is a comparison of it to one taken today. In 3 more years, she'll have outgrown me.

*UPDATE*

Spider-Gymnast

"SuperGymnast III" starring Keli Ward

For the better part of a year, Keli used to wear a Superman T-shirt every Thursday. I wanted to continue with a Superman themed series of videos, and thought I'd focus one to be all about her; unfortunately, by this time she out-grew that Superman T-shirt phase. So I had to plead with her to don it one last time, for the sake of gathering additional film footage.