Interview With Kenneth Watkins

How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport?

I was four years old and my birthday present was being enrolled into a rec class at Prairie, my first gymnastics club. It was originally just supposed to be for fun but I fell in love with the sport, especially the pommel horse. I loved learning new skills then running back to my parents to tell them all about it. They knew it would become something special for me.

What was your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained?

My favorite competition so far was Nationals in Oklahoma City. It was the first time I really felt like a pommel horse specialist. I hit day one and led the competition on pommel horse. I came in day two with by far the most confidence I have felt going into a routine. I crushed it leading to my third consecutive national title on pommel horse. Pretty obvious that my favorite event is the pommel horse, it is the only event that I currently train to compete but I still practice the parallel bars as well. My least favorite has to be the floor exercise, all of my routines had their difficulty coming from my non acrobatic elements. I could never quite figure out how twisting worked. The hardest skill I’ve ever trained was a backup-rise iron cross, I am always in awe of how strong the rings gymnasts are. The easiest skill I’ve ever trained has to be the magyar, my longer arms made it a staple in my routines early on in my career.

Gymnastics is incredibly mental. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? How did you deal with nerves, pressure, and getting in your head or temporarily "losing" a skill?

My hardest struggle as a gymnast is my confidence. I had to see a sports therapist regularly to help me overcome this issue, it led to a concussion during the Windy City Invite in 2025 when I did a double backflip during my routine and landed on my back and neck. I had to be wheel-chaired out of the competition, I truly believed that this happened because I didn’t believe in myself as a gymnast on floor. I was able to rebound that year with the help of my therapist to win nationals in Salt Lake City.

What was your biggest accomplishment in the sport, and did you ever want to do college gymnastics?

My biggest accomplishment is winning three national titles and committing to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!!) I had a great time on my visit to Ann Arbor and I just knew it was the place I needed to be.

How did you cope when your time as a gymnast ended, and did you transition into coaching or are you currently still competing?

I am blessed to still be competing for my club Premier.

Who was your gymnastics role model, and what advice would you give to someone starting the sport for the first time?

My biggest role model was and is Curran Phillips. He was always the one that I looked up to during my time at Prairie. He coached us from time to time when I was younger, he always made practice fun. His diligence and hard work let him compete for Stanford in college. I knew that was the bar that I had to hit if I wanted to be an NCAA athlete. My biggest advice to someone starting the sport is never compare yourself to your competitors. Your biggest goal should always be to be the best version of yourself, that makes you a true winner.

What two goals you want to achieve in the sport of gymnastics?

One day I will compete internationally for team USA and I hope that I can inspire the next great generation of USA gymnasts to follow their dreams and be great.