Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Quick Chat with Level 10 gymnast Sydney McGlone

Sydney McGlone is a 15 year old level 10 gymnast who competes for Universal Gymnastics in Hilliard, Ohio. In the 2012 gymnastics season, Sydney earned the title of state champion on bars, beam, floor, and in the all around. She also won the Circle of Stars meet, which qualified her to compete in the 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup! While training 21 hours a week, Sydney still manages to keep school a priority. She is currently a sophomore in high school and boasts a 4.0440 GPA! We caught up with Sydney to talk about her plans for this season and beyond!



Triple Twist: What would you consider your biggest accomplishment to be so far in your career?

Sydney: I'd have to say making Nationals this past year. I had never made it to Nationals before and I knew I had something to prove because the year before I was coming off an injury.

Triple Twist: How cool was it to be one of the few competitors competing at the 2012 Nastia Cup? Was it difficult for you to adjust to being on a podium, in front of cameras and a bigger audience?

Sydney: I LOVED the Nastia cup! The lights were a little hard to adjust to, but the equipment wasn't much different. It was such an amazing experience and I hope I can go again next year!

Triple Twist: What advice did Nastia give you before the meet?

Sydney: Nastia told us to go out there and have fun. She said that we had already made this far and competing was supposed to be fun. She also gave us some tips on how to relax our nerves and do our very best!

Triple Twist: What are your goals for the upcoming season?

Sydney: My goals are to be healthy, go to the Nastia Cup and Nationals again, and hopefully commit by the end of the year!

Triple Twist: Are you planning on upgrading any of your routines?

Sydney: I'm keeping most of my routines the same except my bars is a little different. I'm adding more transitions (toe on handstand to giant full to bale to uphill!) and I've added a double pike in my new floor routine!

Triple Twist: What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being a gymnast?

Sydney:  My favorite thing is definitely the thrill of competition. I'm such a hardcore competitor and I love making friends but being able to be that top dog when it comes time. My least favorite thing? Time!! I wish there was either less training or more hours in the day. I know it all pays off but sometimes it's so long!


Triple Twist: How do you keep yourself motivated when training gets tough?

Sydney: Good question! I think I always try to remind myself of my purpose in gymnastics, which is to achieve my greatest goals and work for that little girl that fell in love with the sport when I was 3. Sometimes I need a break and ill take it if times are too hard, but I just push myself. I'm a perfectionist!

Triple Twist: What gymnast(s) do you look up to and why?

Sydney: So many. I really look up to Aly Raisman and Alicia Sacramone. They are so fierce and work so hard for what they want and they accomplish it. I think they're awesome. But of course there is Jordyn , who I used to be in the same group for camps with for 6 years. Just being able to say I worked out with her is a privilege!


Triple Twist: What is your favorite and least favorite event?

Sydney: My favorite event is floor! I love performing and I think of myself as a power gymnast. Tumbling is so much fun but I'm also really into the dance! It's the funnest to compete! My least favorite is bars. I've never liked bars. I used to have a mental block on dismounts and me (being so short!) I could never swing very well anyway. Not a bars fan!


Triple Twist: Are you interested in doing college gymnastics? Have you started looking at colleges yet?

Sydney: That is my ultimate goal. I love the concept of college gymnastics. I'm really looking at Georgia, LSU, Utah, Ohio State, and Nebraska. I've visited Georgia, OSU, and Utah. I LOVED Georgia but I visited with jay Clark so that's why I'm interested in LSU. 



Watch Sydney on floor at the 2012 Nastia Cup!
            

Sydney on vault at the 2012 JO Nationals
             

Click here to visit Sydney's website  

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