Interview With Paityn Walker

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

I was 3 years old when I started mommy and me classes and absolutely fell in love with the sport and grit it took to achieve your goals!

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

My favorite meet has to be SEC’s!! The top 4 teams in the country all being in the night session was so cool and amazing as well as having the energy of all the teams and crowd! My favorite event is bars because it’s the one event I feel like I can let go, be free, and fly high!! The easiest skill for me to learn was an in bar geinger on bars. When I was first learning this skill at a gymnastics camp I didn’t know you had to flip and twist, I thought you just let go, turn and catch the bar. Once I understood, I caught the release first try on my first day attempting it! My hardest skill to learn was a jaegar on bars because it was my first ever release

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?

I have actually never had a mental block!! However, the hardest struggle I have ever gone through with gymnastics is learning how to navigate and manage my rheumatoid arthritis within the sport that I love! Learning how to give myself grace and take fewer but more quality turns was huge in this process

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

I have always wanted to do college gymnastics!! My biggest accomplishment for myself was competing for the first time in my second season at Alabama, after going through everything with my diagnosis and not knowing if I would ever compete again. Stepping out on that floor just meant that much more, and to do it with my team and sisters is a perfect memory I will cherish forever!!

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

n/a

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

My gymnastics role model was Aly Raismen and Shawn Johnson for they were both power houses of athletes with beautiful kind hearts! For anyone starting gymnastics I would give the advice of find your why and passion for this sport. It’s going to test you at times and you may even want to give up, but knowing why you started in the first place and remembering your goals is key!

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

Spreading my love and passion of this sport with the younger generation and letting others with autoimmune diseases know that they can still accomplish their goals and dreams is my why.