KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eight Kansas City-area gymnasts are competing at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships this weekend in Forth Worth, Texas.
Seven of these gymnasts train at GAGE Center in Blue Springs.
One of them, Camarah Williams, trains at EDGE Gymnastics in Riverside.
“I’m really just trying to go have fun; this is my first time doing elite, and I’m finishing off with a really big accomplishment,” Williams said.
Her goals for championships are clear.
“Making my bar routine again, I changed some things," Williams told KSHB 41 news reporter Elyse Schoenig. “Get a 14.000 on one event, and hit eight out of eight both days.”
But it goes beyond that.
“As long as I do my best I’m not really worried about performance, as long as I’m having fun," she said.
She even got to meet the ultimate role model for gymnasts everywhere two weekends ago at the Core Hydration Classic in Connecticut: Simone Biles.
“She gave me a hug, she told me good luck, and she was really nice," Williams said. "And she’s actually 4’8 in person. Like, she’s really 4’8. I look so tall compared to her."
For Williams, qualifying for championship shows and practicing seven hours a day has paid off.
“If you’re not getting nervous, you’re not having that much fun," Williams said.
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