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Gymnast Salute

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Gymnast Salute is Dedicated to sharing stories and inspirations to increase your enjoyment of gymnastics. Join the Community by filling out the contact form and subscribing to the newsletter list under the contact tab.


Utah Gymnastics: Why The RedRocks On Resetting for 2027
The Red Rocks Reset: Utah's Technical Overhaul The Red Rocks have been the gold standard in college gymnastics for over 50 years. Missing the National Championship this past season was a major shock to the system, but if you look at how the staff is handling the off-season, you can see they are using that "miss" as pure motivation. As a coach and judge, I’ve been watching Utah closely. They aren't just moving on from 2026; they are actively resetting their entire approach to
Natalie Malover
Jun 222 min read


Interview With Deanna Vinski
What age did you start gymnastics? 4 How did you start in gymnastics? At a REC center and then the offered me to come to try out team classes How did you deal with mental blocks? Even still I struggle sometimes with being a little nervous for skills but journaling setting goals and taking it slow Who was your role model/someone you looked up to in the sport?: Haleigh Bryant and suni lee What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? Mental blocks on back tumb
Natalie Malover
Jun 192 min read


My Coaching Journey: From the Floor To Coaching the Sport
From the Grip Bag to the Clipboard: How Coaching Healed My Athlete Brain For eleven years, my life could be measured in chalk dust, rip sticks, and the specific rhythm of a spring floor. You guys know me—gymnastics wasn’t just a sport I did after school. It was my entire world. During the school year, I lived for those nine hours a week in the gym. But when summer hit? The gym became my actual home. We’re talking 25 to 30 hours a week of pure grit, sweat, tears, and the exhau
Natalie Malover
Jun 193 min read


From Senior Year Project To Reality
From a Quiet Corner of the Internet: The Story Behind My Passion Project When I first started this website back in my senior year of high school, it was little more than a quiet, private corner of the internet. It was just a tiny space meant to house my absolute obsession with this sport—a place where I could unpack my thoughts on NCAA lineups, elite routines, and everything in between. If you had walked up to me back then and told me that this little passion project would gr
Natalie Malover
Jun 182 min read


Florida Gymnastics: Why the Gators are Still the Team to Beat
After wrapping up the 2026 season with a third-place finish at Nationals, it’s easy to look at Florida and see a team that just missed the top spot. But if you’re actually watching the gym floor, you know the truth: The Gators are more dangerous than ever. As both a coach and a judge, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Gainesville, and here is why Florida is still the team everyone is going to be chasing next year. A Foundation of Stability Florida’s success starts with a coach
Natalie Malover
Jun 182 min read


From Occupational Therapy to the Podium: My Gymnastics Journey
Me At UGA Invite In Jan of 2024 I was the bars champion with a 9.725 in XCEL Platiumn When I was seven years old, my parents signed me up for a class at IK Gymnastics. At the time, it wasn’t about gold medals or state titles; it was about addressing physical challenges like coordination, balance, and crossing the midline that how I started gymnastics beccause I struggled to cross my midline. My parents enrolled me in an occupational therapy program that just happened to be
Natalie Malover
Jun 183 min read


Interview With Malia Jones
What age did you start gymnastics? 5 How did you start in gymnastics? I watched the movie “Nadia” and wanted to try gymnastics. How did you deal with mental blocks? When I was younger and didn’t have many tools yet, I dealt with mental blocks by hiding in the bathroom! As I got older and learned that avoidance was not the answer, I started using things like visualization and mantras or key words to help myself through mental blocks. Who was your role model/someone you looked
Natalie Malover
Jun 173 min read


Behind the Chalk: Flip Fest Gymnastics Camp
Imagine a place that is high energy and you are in an environment that is filled with chalk, cool breeze off the lake, and the presence of hundreds of gymnasts and many NCAA gymnastics coaches cheering you on as you learn a new skill in the foam pit. Welcome to summer at Flip Fest. Flip Fest is located on a private lake in the hills of Crossville, Tennessee. This famous camp was founded by two Olympians, John Roethlisberger and John Macready. While in gymnastics competition,
Natalie Malover
Jun 173 min read


Interview With Iowa Gymnast Gabe Fry
What age did you start gymnastics? I started gymnastics as soon as I could walk! If I remember correctly, my first class was around 7 months old. How did you start in gymnastics? I was fortunate that my grandma started my families gym in 1963. So I was born into the sport and have involved with it ever since. How did you deal with mental blocks? I have struggles with numerous mental blocks in gymnastics. The best way I can push through them is breaking down what my goal is t
Natalie Malover
Jun 164 min read


LSU Gymnastics: Behind The Purple And Gold
While other NCAA teams are completely changing up their strategies during the off-season, LSU is locking down their formula for staying at the top. Jay Clark has built something special in Baton Rouge. He didn't just help bring LSU their historic national title—he has created a staff that keeps pushing the boundary of what a top-tier program looks like. But what makes the Tigers so dangerous isn't just the huge crowd energy at the PMAC or their stacked roster; it’s how perfec
Natalie Malover
Jun 153 min read


The Landi Era: Why the GymDogs Are Now the Team to Watch
When we found out Cécile Landi was taking over as the head coach at UGA, everyone knew big changes were coming. But now that Laurent Landi is officially joining her in Athens as the Associate Head Coach? It’s over. The GymDogs aren't just trying to fix their program—they are playing for a national championship. An Unmatched Coaching Lineup As a college student who also judges and coaches the sport, looking at this new staff is actually insane. Laurent Landi, Cécile Landi, Bre
Natalie Malover
Jun 142 min read


Gymnast Salute: My Life Flipping Through The Air
I was bored one day so I started writtingabout my gymnastics journey and then was like this should just be a book. I am beyond excited to finally share a project that has been close to my heart for a long time. Gymnastics is more than just a sport to me; its how I’ve seen the world since I was seven years old. Today, I am thrilled to announce that I am officially working on a book detailing my gymnastics story, hoping for it to release soon. A Different Kind of Start Many g
Natalie Malover
Jun 132 min read


New Gymnastics College Program Coming to Texas
On June 1st, Texas State University announced that Texas was getting its first college D1 gymnastics team, and this was a big deal for the state of Texas! The new addition will be a part of the PAC-12 conference. The Texas State president Kelly Damphousse said that they will hire a head coach at the end of this month. The Texas State University president gave credit to Oklahoma's head coach for helping launch a program like this one. Standout Olympic gymnasts Carly Patterson
Natalie Malover
Jun 121 min read


Interview With Oregon State Commit Allie Elcock
What age did you start gymnastics? I started gymnastics at 1! Started with mommy and me classes. How did you start in gymnastics? My mom was a gymnast so she wanted to put me into something she loved. She also wanted something that would keep me occupied and active. How did you deal with mental blocks? When dealing with mental blocks I am always honest with my coaches about how I’m feeling. I went back to basics and took time off from the skill so I don’t get overwhelmed. It
Natalie Malover
Jun 114 min read


Interview With Ashley Gundelfinger
1. What age did you start gymnastics? 10 2. How did you start in gymnastics? I was self taught for two years until I joined gym stars which is a rec group at my gym. 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? I walk myself through the basics of the skills and I go through it mentally a LOT. 4. Who was your role model/someone you looked uo to in the sport? Jordan chiles!! 5. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? I would say getting my back handspring on be
Natalie Malover
Jun 93 min read


Interview With UNH Commit Whitney Torchia
1. What age did you start gymnastics? 18 months 2. How did you start in gymnastics? My mom wanted to get me involved in a sport or dance. There was a gymnastics facility in my home city at the time that offered gymnastics, taps and ballet. After my first gymnastics class, I was hooked. 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? The first time I experienced a mental block, I was between 8 and 9 years old. I would spend hours crying, I had journals that I would use daily to help m
Natalie Malover
Jun 84 min read


Interview With Kai Cadavid
1. What age did you start gymnastics? 7 2. How did you start in gymnastics? Sibling inspired me 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? Going back to the basics and repetition 4. Who was your role model/someone you looked uo to in the sport? Khoi Young 5. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? Fear stopped me from trying skills that my coaches though I was capable of getting. 6. How do you handle nerves when you are competing? Not making a big deal out
Natalie Malover
Jun 82 min read


Interview With Former OU and Current National Team Gymnast Zachary Nunez
1. What age did you start gymnastics? Around 4-5 years old. I started in mommy and me classes 2. How did you start in gymnastics? I was enrolled in mommy and me classes. As I got older, I started climbing the door frames and walls at home so my parents enrolled me in recreational classes to get be able to do those types of things safely, and in a controlled environment 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? I have to tell myself that if I want a different/new outcome, I need
Natalie Malover
Jun 84 min read


Interview With OU Gymnast Nathan Roman
1. What age did you start gymnastics? 4 2. How did you start in gymnastics? When we moved the previous owners left a trampoline in the yard and I found myself trying to do flips on it. My parents saw this and didn’t want me to get hurt so they put me in the nearest gym and it just took off from there 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? Going back to the basics was helpful but also just repetition for me was the main thing that helped. The more I did something the more my
Natalie Malover
Jun 83 min read


Interview With Ezri Thomason
1. What age did you start gymnastics? 7 2. How did you start in gymnastics? Rec team 3. How did you deal with mental blocks? going back to my most confident place then building up again 4. Who was your role model/someone you looked you to in the sport? My old coach 5. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? breaking my arm and having to relearn a lot of skills 6. How do you handle nerves when you are competing? taking deep breaths and chalk 7. What was y
Natalie Malover
Jun 82 min read
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