Carly Patterson

2004 Olympic All-Around Champion

Former member of the USA Gymnastics team

    At the age of three, I began my initiation into the realm of gymnastics through weekly toddler classes that taught stability and flexibility. As the years began to progress and my muscles began to develop, my interest within the sport grew immensely. By eight I was no longer a part of the once-a-week lessons but rather an athlete whose practice schedule consisted of six days of training. With the crowning of Carly Patterson at the 2004 Summer Olympics, I was inspired to become the next "Carly Patterson". My dream of becoming the next olympic gold medalists seemed tangible because just as Patterson, I was an American gymnast. However, after hurting my neck during a tumbling pass, I was left traumatized and my ultimate dream began to seem less plausible. Although I did not become a world-class athlete, every time I see a picture of Carly Patterson or hear her name, I remember my childhood dream with content; the remembrance of my adolescent dream is extremely important during the current stage of my life because it reminds me 
of the innocence of childhood. As an adolescent, life seemed limitless and possibilities, endless; personally, Carly Patterson is a continual reminder to aspire to become ANYTHING my mind can fathom.