The Gravity of Nika's Situation

march 16, 2008

Nika is a sweet child of 14 today, who I taught her first backhandspring to when she was in a rec program around the age of 5-6. Since that time, she's taken her gymnastics to the next level and has competed successfully through levels 4-7 and is now training level 8. Along the way have been a series of setbacks. The latest of these is as follows:

"With her Turner's Syndrome and Madelung's Deformity diagnoses in June of 2010; a syndrome in which the female baby is born without the second X chromosome, time isn't on her side without meds. The surgeon removed two bones out of Nika's arm, during Christmas. The meds work together to try and grow the bones. As of Feb 1, the pharmacy has stopped sending the meds due to the outstanding bill. Anthem Blue Cross has paid it's portion, the mother has made several payments nearing 1500. however with the nature of this particular drug, the bill of 2700. needs to be cleared before sending any more to the patient. Nika has not grown nor developed as a 14 year old girl thus far due to the lack of estrogen and growth hormone not being produced in her body. At this juncture, the mother has lined up patient assistance for the co pay (7000 co pay per year!), however will not take effect until April 1. Let's get this little girl the meds she needs now. "

Needless to say, she's been sidetracked yet again, currently wearing a cast and in a good deal of physical pain and discomfort. The financial stresses has been pretty enormous for Nika and her mother (whose father just passed away this past Monday, February 7, 2011). None of you may personally know Nika, but we each can exercise our influence upon the world. If you are able to afford it, please consider donating to Nika's fund. There is no such thing as "too small" an amount and every penny is appreciated and the family is deeply moved by any gesture of generosity (even so much as spreading this story to others who may be in a position to help). If this reached 50,000 people who donated only a buck, dilemma solved. I think it's a shame that giftberry doesn't have an option where you can donate anonymously because I'm wondering if people might feel too embarrassed to donate, thinking they'll be judged by others based upon dollar amount contributed. That's nonsense (especially since the ones who are being asked to consider donating don't even know her). I perfectly understand that we all donate to various charities and have only so much to spread around without bankrupting ourselves for every worthwhile cause both personal and distant. Truly, whether it's a penny or a thousand dollars, there's no such thing as "too little". Just spreading the message around is a service that is not taken for granted as the more it reaches, the more chance of finding more potential donors.

Here's a republish of a video I made for her a few years ago:




Go here to donate.

Nika is a very kind-spirited soul who could use some help and support. Even if you are unable to donate money, please at least pass this message along.

Nika's Turn to Defy Gravity

I've known Nika since she was about five or six. Formerly a competitor at Gymnastics Olympica, this past year saw some dramatic changes in her life as she found a new school to attend, as well as leaving the gym that had cultivated much of her present gymnastics skills.

Currently, she is a migrant gymnast without a gym to call her own. Hopefully, that will change in the future. Right now, though, she loves her school and is in a sabbatical transition with regard to her competitive life as a gymnast. She trains at Valley College, and here and there, where her mom can take her for open workouts.

Even though I've already used this song in a previous video, and I don't like to repeat what's been done when there are so many songs out there begging to be used in my videos, knowing how much Donna and Nika (and much of the rest of the world, it would seem) loved seeing this musical, to the point of tears, I just thought they deserve this song, as well. Besides, I'm using the musical version here; I think I used a rock version in Crislin's video. Gymnasts know how to defy gravity, so it's only appropriate that this song gets worn from use.




Some of the footage from the video is taken of her shoot with Country Crock advertising, which happened at LASG.

Merry Christmas, Donna and Nika!

LASG Summer Camp Open House

Last Sunday, LASG had an open house to drum up interest in summer camp. World Wide Acts was there, with their Circus Art; and Donna was there to promote her Fame Performing Arts program, which includes dance and acting.

Her daughter Nika is training level 7 at Gymnastics Olympica. I taught Nika her first backhandspring when she was around 5 or 6 years old. I've stayed friends with her and her mom over the succeeding years.

I've always felt she and Thea, who is also training level 7, would be perfect teammates for one another. Sure enough, they hit it off and were inseparable. A really good match.

Level 5 Floor for Intermediates

Since SMGC does not compete level 4's, I have the intermediate classes work on elements from the level 5 routine; that way, if any of them make it to team, they'll have a sort of "head start". In terms of the dance elements being progressive, moving from basic to something more advanced, I don't see it. It's silly that prior to the second tumbling pass, what differentiates 5 from 6 is a flexed toe in 5 and a pointed toe in 6. That's just....pointless; other than to confuse transitioners, who end up jumbling parts from 5 with parts from 6.

I wonder how often a level 6 gymnast doesn't realize she has kept a level 5 interpretation in her routine, goes unnoticed and uncorrected by the coaches, and then makes its way before tired judges who, after watching a hundred routines, fails to catch the error.

Anyway, most of our intermediates only train once or twice a week, in two hour classes. They don't always get to practice routines; but some really get into it.

I thought I'd put some videos up of the routines; that way, we can spend more time polishing in class and less time memorizing.

Hopefully, they will also get a "feel" for the performance aspect, and see how different gymnasts and different gyms interpret the same routine differently.

The following video is of Michele Wunderlich during practice, April 4th:


This is a video I took of my friend's daughter, Nika (who I taught her first backhandspring to):



The routine scored a 9.1 or 9.2.

Here is a 9.6 routine at the So. Cal State Championships, by another Nica. Outstanding dive roll!

The following is of one of my adult clients. Mari only recently began working on the level 5 floor routine and her background in dance and movement shows through in this partial clip:




Here is her first time doing a round off backhandspring without a spotter present, on the floor. November 24th:



I encourage all of my intermediates to run "level 5 gymnastics" through the search function on YouTube. You can learn quite a bit from observation and study. In my day, I didn't have such access at my fingertips. I had to monitor the tv guide for any gymnastics on Wide World of Sports or other sports programs, and set the VCR. Now you are no longer limited by only watching elite level gymnastics on tv; but through the internet, we are able to peek in on home video training sessions of anything from high level gymnastics to awful low quality gymnastics.

You've Got a Gymnast in Me

Nika's First Backhandspring