University of Minnesota Athletics
My Gymnastics Story: Kaitlin Rahon
10/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Oct. 13, 2015
The sport of gymnastics is no easy feat. The years of tough training both mentally and physically push gymnasts to their limits in order to suceed at the highest level. Gophersports.com sat down with the University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team to learn where each of these 14 women came from in order to call themselves Golden Gophers.
To be perfectly honest, gymnastics has been one of the most challenging things I have done in my life. Choosing this sport did not mean choosing the easy route. It meant choosing to live a life of sacrifice, physical demands and mental struggles. However, after sixteen years of being a gymnast, I could not imagine my life any other way.
I started gymnastics when I was four-years-old at a small recreational center and I remember my coach at the time told my mom, "She is really good. You should keep her in the sport." My mom (thinking the same way I probably would have) thought, "Yeah, yeah. She probably wants money." Thankfully, my mom kept me in the sport and soon noticed the lady was correct.
Soon after, we transferred to a gym called Kips Gymnastics in Anaheim, California, where I trained for the rest of my club career. Kips was the place that molded me into the gymnast I am today. My coaches created an atmosphere that was intended for you to reach your highest potential.
Fast forward quite a few years and I reached my ultimate goal in gymnastics: to earn a college scholarship at the Division I level. Now, as a junior at the University of Minnesota, I can confidently say that I am glad I stuck with gymnastics after some of those hard days every young gymnast experiences. It has taught me to be disciplined in all aspects of my life, persevere through the toughest of circumstances and the true meaning of hard work.
Most of all, the University of Minnesota has given me a team of 14 girls to spend some of the most exciting years of my life with. As a "sisterhood," we have all been granted an opportunity that is bigger than each of us individually. Being a part of something bigger than myself is extremely rewarding. Seeing my teammates succeed both individually and as a collective team is more gratifying than any experience I could have had by myself.
- Kaitlin Rahon
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