February 11, 2007

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." -Author Unknown

The last time Stanford Women's Gymnastics competed for their home crowd in Maples Pavilion, it was over a year ago and the result was far from a storybook ending. For those of us returning from last year, the feeling of that night was not far from our thoughts as we entered the arena this past Friday night to take on three challenging teams. I'm sure many were wondering how the night would end, something that was waiting to be written, but we had no doubts and approached the night with confidence and tons of fire and excitement.

Not only were we able to grasp a victory and put up our highest team score of the season, but the night was filled with outstanding performances and highlights all around. Freshman Stephanie Carter's debut in the vault line up with a huge yurchenko full and Ourada's first place all-around performance were of great excitement, just to name a few. It was also Alumni night, so several alum were introduced and stayed to support us. Additionally, about two-thirds of the team's parents helped to fill the stands.

I also want to take the time to note the continual effort present in each workout behind the scenes. Everyone is improving every day, challenging themselves both mentally and physically. I feel blessed to be a part of such a motivating team and am inspired by the work ethic and culture of family instilled in the program. Even as the quarter progresses and midterms, problem sets, and papers begin to pile up, SWG keeps getting better and stronger. No telling what will happen from here…

Thanks for reading!
Aimee