Support Ania's Return to Competitive Gymnastics

I'm Danielle, mother to the incredibly adventurous and athletically inclined Ania. As a mother, of course we do our best to provide opportunities for our children, especially if we see a natural talent and passion. We all would do anything to fan that spark when we see it and watch it grow into unstoppable flames! That is what brings me here today.

Let me back up a bit; pre-pandemic, Ania was part of a competitive gymnastics team under the USA Gymnastics national team. She was incredibly successful and pushed herself beyond anything I could have imagined, bringing home medals for herself and her team. Not only was it great for her team building skills and athletic endurance but I also saw a positive shift in her self-confidence, mental fortitude, goal-setting, and independence. She had a dream and it simply brought us all the most joy to watch her succeed in becoming a top athlete on her team.

It was shortly after a huge meet in Las Vegas where she brought home 2 high scoring medals, despite catching a stomach bug, that the Covid Pandemic put her passion and success to sudden halt. The world was on pause and affected us all in different ways. For her, not only did she have to adjust to the monotonous routines of home-schooling and online education but gyms everywhere had closed indefinitely. She went from 6 hours a week of hard physical training and weekend competitions to nothing. Her dreams were crushed with no warning. It was very tough for us to watch that joy slowly fade.

All this to say that for the past 4 years, we adjusted, when school started again she tried other sports and it had become a distant memory... until recently...

We attended a gymnastics competition (go Bruins!) and those feelings came flooding back, I watched her face light up as we watched the UCLA team take home an incredible WIN (please watch the performance that inspired her here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV6jP56Lv70). She pleaded with me on the car ride home to take her back to gymnastics so she could start practicing again, she didn't care that she would be older than most of the kids at her level. She explained to me how she didn't feel the same connection for other sports even though she was succeeding at them (swimming and water polo) and of course, as you do as a mother, I said I'd find a way to pay.

We pivoted and are about 3 months into this adventure and I am seeing her joy return. She has a lot of catching up to do to get back to the level she was at all those years ago but I know she can do it. Her coach, Maggie, believes in her talent even in this short period with her. Maggie said she should try out for the competitive team. Happy to announce she made the team! She has been working incredibly hard, even trying to change her pre-adolescent eating patterns (Chips, bread, pasta LOL) to succeed again at this sport.

My only hesitation is cost. As most of you know we recently bought a home and have relocated to Redlands, CA. We absolutely love our new property and family-centered town but with a new mortgage, Alden's preschool costs, and several pets, our finances are tighter than ever. I don't ask for help a lot but I am asking now. The fees for this type of sport are outrageous but I'd do anything to make this competitive season a reality for Ania. If we can get hit our goal it will help us cover her gym costs from now until June of 2025. She deserves this second chance!

Please help us fan her spark again.