Save Shilese's gymnastics & her dad

My name is David Holcomb and I am the owner of Buckeye Gymnastics in Westerville, Ohio. Our goal is to take our gymnasts as far as their talent and hard work will take them. We have been quite successful in doing this and one of our gymnasts, Gabby Douglas, is in Rio right now as part of Team USA and she will compete for Gold as part of the USA Gymnastics Team.

But we have other very special athletes in our program as well and one of those special athletes needs help to achieve her Olympic dream and go as far as her talent and hard work will take her. Her name is Shilese Jones. Her father's name is Sylvester Jones and he needs a new kidney and pancreas. 

Shilese is well known to gymnastics fans. She competed in the P&G National Gymnastics Championships the past three years and this year she finished 3rd on floor and vault in the junior division on her way to a 7th place finish in the all around. Shilese has been attending National Team Training Camps in Huntsville, Texas for over a year under the direction of Marta Karolyi. She is on her way to being named to the USA National Team to represent the United States in international competitions along with her teammate and current USA National Team memer, Shania Adams.

But Shilese's future in gymnastics will come to an end if she cannot afford to continue. Buckeye Gymnastics has Shilese on scholarship but even so the financial burden of Shilese's travel (those trips to Texas are not cheap), medical care, and living expenses are mounting.

Her father, Sylvester,  is raising Shilese and her sister as a single parent. He is a painter by profession and has always operated his own crew and has done well enough to support both girl's dreams and aspirations. But within the past year his health has faltered and he now finds himself on dialysis three days a week and on the transplant list at The Ohio State University Medical Center. His medical expenses are covered. But he is not allowed to work and there is no family to help out with living expenses. 

Buckeye Gymnastics along with our coaches and the families of some of our gymnasts have been pitching in to help while Sylvester worked as much as he was able to. But now he is not permitted to work at all. 

We have reached out to our gym families and donations are coming in but they are not enough to support three people and provide for Shilese's future in gymnastics. Shilese turned 14 yesterday and her father had to tell her that they were going to have to move away from their home and that the gymnastics was going to be put on hold until he was better. She informed him that she was not going anywhere.

I am asking for your help to keep Shilese in the sport that she loves. It is her dream that keeps Sylvester and the rest of the family going. If we can keep them afloat until Sylvester is able to work again, then Buckeye Gymnastics will do its part in developing the talent that will allow her to compete for a spot on the Team USA in 2020 in Japan.

Thank you for your consideration and support for this wonderful young lady. It is not every day that you can help such a beautiful and talented athlete achieve such a great, big, audacious dream.