As children, everyone had that special dream – the goal we hoped to achieve as we grew older. Whether it was to be a teacher, a singer, or to walk on the moon, we all had our childhood aspirations. This year, 17-year old Wesley Chapel resident Kristen Ng made a huge step toward realizing hers at the USA Gymnastics Rhythmic National Qualifier in Lake Placid, New York. After putting in the work and advancing through nine levels of skill as a gymnast, Kristen was required to rank in the top 20 out of all the gymnasts competing in order to advance to level 10. In order to do so, however, she would have to go up against others who had already achieved level 10. Therefore, she would have to beat out someone a rank higher than her in order to reach level 10 herself. But Kristen’s perseverance and effort paid off – she reached level 10, coming in 17th place in the nation during the qualifying competition. Some gymnasts never reach this level, so this is a major accomplishment in Kristen’s gymnastics career. It also meant she would be traveling to the official national competition in Milwaukee, which took place during the last week of June.
Traveling all the way up to Wisconsin with her coach and a fellow gymnast was nothing new to Kristen, as she has traveled previously to various locations around Florida and the United States, and even sometimes out of the country as well for different state and regional competitions. Upon arriving, she met and later engaged in competition with the top 20 rhythmic gymnasts in the nation, including the United States competitor in the Rio Olympics. After a stunning performance, Kristen placed 17th in her very first USA Rhythmic Gymnastics national competition. An incredible feat, but not one achieved by sheer luck. Since she was a seven-year old student at Seven Oaks Elementary School, Kristen has always had an interest in the sport of gymnastics. Starting out in the field of artistic gymnastics, she struggled for a while with being strong enough for required routines on the beam and bar. However, when she was home, she was always dancing around the house; her mother Angela took notice of both of these things and decided to let her give rhythmic gymnastics a try. The rest was history – Kristen began training for five days a week, four hours a day, while attending elementary school and eventually John Long Middle School.
Balancing her life between school and sport has been a challenge for Kristen, but she has shown dedication to both and also names her mother as one of her biggest supporters throughout the years. In middle school, she joined the orchestra as well, and has participated in charity programs such as Big Brother Big Sister and coached rhythmic gymnastics for the Special Olympics. Upon moving up to Wiregrass Ranch High School, Kristen continued to do well in school, still participating in the orchestra, even as her training became more intensive. She now trains every day for several hours after school, then returns home to eat and do homework before going to sleep. Her mother expressed pride in her daughter’s dedication especially when she gave up going to junior prom in order to drive four hours to Miami for the Regional Championship.
Looking at the contrast between photos of Kristen’s friends in prom dresses and her in a leotard in a competition venue really drove home how hardworking these student athletes are. They don’t always participate in the same activities other teenagers do, and Kristen has said most of her friends are in the gym as that is where she spends most of her time (but also noted that her friends outside of the gym are wholly supportive of her as well). But as is clear in this case, what can sometimes seem like an uphill struggle is not for nothing. Kristen expressed that what keeps her going is becoming a better gymnast than she was before; she herself is the only competitor she is worried about beating. That’s the motivation that keeps her going through the tough times, and the attitude that earned her a spot in the top 20 rhythmic gymnasts in the nation.
Ultimately, Kristen still has a dream – that of landing a spot on the United States National or Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics Team. She still has some elements to work on before than can become a reality, such as intensive cardio training to improve her leaps, but with both her passion for the sport and the support of her family and friends being so strong, it is clear that Kristen will continue to make leaps and bounds in the field of rhythmic gymnastics.
