Arya

What do they love most about playing their sport(s)?

Arya loves the physical and mental challenge of gymnastics. Learning new skills and mastering them. She loves the feeling of being weightless in the air doing a tumble pass across the floor or when she is leaping from the low bar to the high bar. Most of all, she loves training and competing with her teammates and coaches and the bond they share through years of hard work and sacrifices. Arya's dream is to one day compete on the USA Olympic woman's gymnastics team.

Who inspires them—on or off the field—and why?

Arya's hero is Simone Biles. Watching Simone compete in the 2024 Olympics and winning gold after gold stirred a desire to be a part of something bigger than herself. Arya is also inspired by the older girls on her team. She sees their hard work and the sacrifices they make but the skills and experiences they have gained and she is inspired to do so also. Above all, she is inspired by her Lord and Savior who has given her the gifts and abilities to do the sport she loves.

What’s one moment in their athletic journey that makes you proudest?

Arya's first competitive season, she fell off the beam at practice and ended up with a bone contusion on her elbow. She had to take 6 weeks off. She was approved by her doctor to compete the day before her first competition. Floor was her first event but she forgot her routine and froze when the music began. She was so disappointed but instead of giving up, Arya picked herself up and finished out her last three events with everything she had. We were so proud of her!