Catching up with Ariana Agrapides

Although her elite career was short, Ariana Agrapides was instantly one of the fan favorites. During her elite career she trained at MG elite with Maggie Haney and alongside Laurie Hernandez and Jazmyn Foberg. At twelve years of age she competed elite for the first time in 2013, winning the all-around and bar title at the American Classic as well as finishing second on vault, beam, and floor. At the P&G Championships she won the vault title with two near perfectly executed yurchenko doubles. After coming off a minor injury in 2014 and not being able to train or compete full difficulty, she didn't have the strongest competition season--withdrawing from Classics and finishing 32nd in the all-around at Championships. In 2015, Ari decided to step down from elite and shift her focus to new goals--competing for her high school team and getting a college scholarship. We had a quick chat with Ariana to see what she up to today!

How did you get started in gymnastics? 
When I was little I did mommy and me classes. As I got older, I was put onto a team at a gym by my house. Some of the earliest memories I have in gymnastics are with my coach Bruce, he was the person who took me to Maggie [Haney] and I've very grateful to have had them both as coaches.

What has been the highlight of your career so far? 
Being the Junior National Champion on vault was definitely the proudest moment in my career so far. Another highlight was hitting bars both days of my second P&G Championships.

Do you still keep in touch with your former teammates Jazzy and Laurie? 
I still keep in touch with Jazzy and Laurie although I'm closer with Jazzy because I live closer to her, so I see her more often.

You competed in high school gymnastics this year, what was that experience like? 
It was a fun experience to compete with a lot of girls I use to do level 10 with. I do have to downgrade my routines for high school, but I wanted to do it so I could take part in a high school sport and just have fun!

What are your future plans in gymnastics? Do you see yourself possibly coming back to elite?
I do level 10 at Premier Gymnastics [in addition to competing in high school] and I'm interested in doing college gymnastics. It was a very hard decision to retire from elite, but I will not be returning.

I know you've had some injuries in your career, how do you stay motivated through those times? 
I've recently dealt with a foot injury but I'm back in the gym now. I try to stay motivated by going to the gym as much as I can and thinking about the positives.

Do you plan on watching the Olympics this summer? 
I do! I'm most excited to hopefully see Laurie and Jazzy competing this summer! (Note: this interview was done before Jazzy withdrew.)