From flipping on couches to flipping on the mat, one member of the Texas State gymnastics club has been working on her gymnastics skills most of her life.
Hannah King, nursing sophomore, has been in gymnastics since she was 6 years old. She worked with the sport on and off until she entered the sixth grade, then decided to stick with it and cheerleading.
“I was flipping all over the couches and stuff at home,” King said. “My mom was like ‘let your energy out somewhere else for it to be productive.’”
When searching for an institution to attend after high school, King wanted a comfortable place to call home. She noted the education program offered at Texas State, as well as the beautiful campus and hills, and wanted to pursue it. King then noticed the gymnastics club Texas State had and knew she wanted to be a part of it.
King believes her biggest strength is working the floor event because she has enough space to do whatever she wants.
“Floor is where you do dance, jumps and tumbling on a big piece of mat,” King said. “It’s where you get to express yourself while doing skills that are required for that level to your own choice of music.”
King said that she usually chooses a Disney song because it matches her personality. The gymnast said she tries to have fun and relax as a confidence builder before competing in her meets.
“I like to listen to old Disney music like Hannah Montana or even high school musical,” King said.
Teammate Bryce Singer, finance junior, believes King brings in a lot of value to the team.
“She is very enthusiastic and supportive,” Singer said. “She is uplifting during practice and competitions.”
King hopes to become an officer in the future to continue working on her best qualities and help the team grow.
Teammate Aja Stills, psychology freshman, feels King’s personality and drive pushes Stills and fellow teammates to be greater.
“Her competitiveness makes her push herself to higher expectations,” Stills said. “She doesn’t just compete with other gymnasts, she also competes with herself to be better than the day before.”
King wants people to come out and watch her teammates compete against other programs.
“We compete in the NAIGC, which is for schools that don’t have the sport at the collegiate level,” King said. “I want to work to get us known. Other schools didn’t know we had a gymnastics club.”
Ultimately, King hopes to one day get kids involved in gymnastics to help them build their confidence as it did for her. The gymnastics club practices at the Aqua Sports Center and the next competition is at Texas Tech University March 24.