Interview with Arianne DeMarco

1. What age did you start gymnastics?

13

2. How did you start in gymnastics?

As a kid, my grandparents use to take me to summer tumbling and recreational gymnastics classes.

3. How did you deal with mental blocks?

Mental blocks are tough but you can be tougher. I found that breaking the skill down to its very basics and go through it step by step helped me the best. Sometimes you got to break something down to build it back up correctly.

4. Who was your role model/someone you looked up to in the sport?

My older cousin, Bridget Sloan, Maggie Nichols, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson.

5. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast?

Training around a broken foot and finding my love for the sport again after falling out of touch with it for several years.

6. How do you handle nerves when you are competing?

Take a deep breath and give myself lots of positive affirmations.

7. What was your biggest accomplishment in gymnastics?  

Placing first place for the first time on vault.

8. What did you do after you were done competing? Did you stay involved or did you do something totally different?

After I competed my senior season, I took some time off to focus college and volleyball. I played volleyball throughout college and it wasn’t until my junior year that I realized how much I missed gymnastics. While I knew I might not be as physically capable as I once was, I was still knowledgeable. I had a passion to share my love for the sport with athletes and to train them to be better gymnasts than I could ever be. I wanted to create a positive environment where athletes felt challenged and encouraged, but most all I wanted to provide a safe space and supported both in and out of the gym.

9. What would people need to know if you are starting the sport for the first time?

It’s never too late to start.

10. What is your favorite meet?

Senior home meet

11. How do you handle pressure from peers/coaches/fans?

I turn pressure into fuel and desire. I work harder, push harder, and keep going. I want to be someone others can look up to in times of difficulty and see that if I can do it, they can do it too.

12. How do you overcome setbacks and challenges?

Take everything as a learning opportunity. Fall down seven times, stand up eight. It’s not over until you give up.

13. Did college gymnastics ever cross your mind as something you wanted to do?

I would daydream about being a collegiate gymnast, but my skills were never to that caliber. My university also didn’t happen to have any club gymnastics teams so I took up coaching instead!

14. Least favorite event and favorite event? And why?

Favorite event — floor. I love that I can show my personality through dance and choreography. Least favorite — beam. It’s like the width of my foot and you’re telling me I’m supposed to flip around on the thing? I can’t tell you how many beam bites and bruises I got when I was training.

15. Hardest and easiest gymnastics skill to train?

Hardest — Kip Easiest (I don’t think any skill is easy so here’s a skill I enjoy doing) — free/clear hip. Hear me out… once you figure out the timing, it’s an incredible skill and super fun to do.

16. How did/do you deal with getting in your head on skills?

I walk away and get a drink or run my hands under cold water until I can clear my head and try again when I feel ready.

17. How did you stay out your head at practice and at meets?

I didn’t — but I used the adrenaline in my favor.

18. Have any of you got a skill for a few weeks on any event and they a week or too later you just can’t do it? This is happening with my round off on beam right now but glad I have a back up series? If this has happened to you how have you dealt with it or overcame it?

Drills drills drills. Repetition and practice. You know you’re physically capable of doing the skill, you’ve done it before. The more you practice, again breaking it down to build it up, the more your body will grow familial with the feeling.

19. How did you cope when your time as a gymnast was over?

It was hard. I knew I wasn’t ready to leave the sport yet, so I became a coach.

20. Advice you would give to current or people who want to start in the sport?  

Don’t be so hard on yourself — be proud of how hard you train and what you have accomplished. Not everyone can do what you do and that’s pretty amazing. Spread kindness and positivity.