Time, dedication and hard work are only a few of the things gymnasts must exemplify in their daily lives. Senior Jamie Lewis and juniors Lauren Blackwell, Charle Dembo and Emily Howe spend more time in the gym than at school or at home on a daily basis. Each girl dedicates 25 to 34 hours a week, Monday through Saturday, to training at the gym.

“My daily routine is waking up at 6:30 for practice until 11:00,” Howe said. “After that, I change, eat lunch and come to school from fourth period through seventh. We have a second practice right after school until seven. Then I go home, eat again and do homework.”

Howe’s schedule mirrors that of Dembo’s and Blackwell’s, but Lewis’ day starts with school and ends with the gym.

“I have class zero hour to fourth period, ending at 12:42,” Lewis said. “I then go home, eat lunch and start on my homework until 2:30, when I get ready for gym. I work out from 3:30 to 8:00. After practice, I come home, eat dinner, shower and finish any remaining homework I might not have finished prior to work out. After that I go to bed and start all over the next day.”

Not only does gymnastics teach them how to jump and flip, but it also teaches them how to manage their time, amongst other things.

“Gymnastics has taught me a lot of things,” Blackwell said. “It has taught me to be independent, manage my time, and be determined to succeed no matter what. It has also made me a much stronger person.”

Gymnastics brings many things into their lives. Among these things are college scholarships and commitments.

“I am a senior this year, and I have received a full-ride scholarship to the Air Force Academy for gymnastics,” Lewis said. “I am especially excited to be able to compete for a college team because it is a different atmosphere and chapter in the sport of gymnastics.”

Howe has verbally committed to the University of California, Berkeley and will be joining her sister on a full-ride gymnastics scholarship, while Dembo has committed to the University of Arizona, also on a full-ride scholarship.

“Gymnastics has given me many opportunities which I’m grateful for,” Dembo said. “I’ve gotten to travel to places within the U.S., as well as some places out of the states, like France. It has also allowed me to learn how to work in a team. To have teammates is one of the greatest things an athlete can have.”

Though things like scholarships or verbal commitments are important, it is the team at the end of the day that matters the most to these girls.

“My greatest inspiration is my own teammates,” Howe said. “They push me every day to work harder and are always there for me.”

For some, family is an inspiration. Lewis has three older sisters, all of whom participated in gymnastics. For Blackwell, her inspiration is found in parents and grandparents.

“My mom and my grandfather have both inspired me,” Blackwell said. “They have pushed me and supported me through the thick and thin. I always look to them, and want to make them proud of me.”

The sport consumes their lives. It takes up their time, but during that time, they create strong bonds.

“We have all learned so much about each other and out relationships have grown far more than just gymnastics,” Howe said. “We share something that no one else understands, which will tie our friendship together for the rest of our lives.”