All good things must come to an end. And it is with many mixed emotions that Maddie's competitive gymnastics career has come to an end. She made this decision 100% on her own. Over the past few years, she has devoted literally hundreds of hours to practice and meets. Currently, she was driving an hour one way for practice and then practicing for 3 long, tough hours 3 days a week. If she had continued, it would have increased to 4 days a week. That just doesn't leave time for anything else. She has missed trips, birthday parties, family and friend events and much more. I think she is simply tired and ready to move to something else. There are no words for how proud we are of her! She is strong, confident, competitive, and yet gracious and humble. We will miss her meets and even practice sessions, but we are also proud of her for making this decision. She has learned not only about teamwork, but also independence. There is no doubt that she will be a success in whatever she decides to do, but this Nana is so very thankful for the countless memories we have made following her on this journey! Whatever she decides to do next, Nana and Pop look forward to coming along for the ride!
These pictures are from her final two meets. Both were held in Montgomery. Her final meet was the State Meet.
She is a natural on the beam! It was my favorite event to watch her on.
She worked super hard on her back handspring in her floor routine this year. Sadly, I never got a good picture of her doing it! I loved the floor, also!
John Sawyer got to see her compete this year.
Lillian is telling him all about it!
One of Maddie's sweet friends came to her last meet!
The bars were her favorite. I never ever was able to get pictures of the vault. It is always on the other side of the gym. She loved that, too!
Oh the medals! I'm not sure how many she has received! I'm really going to miss her sweet smile when she was on the podium.
Her biggest fans! We have traveled many, many miles supporting this sweet girl. Each meet was different, and has its own set of memories.
Oh how we love you!! Thanks for the memories!
This journey has ended, but many others await! Lillian's softball season will soon begin, and we think Reed is headed to the soccer field! We aren't sure yet what Maddie is going to tackle next, but Nana and Pop will be there for all three. We are their biggest fans!
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