Interview | Kamerin Moore

Many gymnastics fans may remember Kamerin Moore as the tiny, adorable, blonde gymnast who competed with glasses and tumbled and danced to the beat of 'Itty Bitty Pretty One,' at least that's how I always remember her. But now, she's matured into an intelligent young women who's moved on from the sport she loves and is ready to open up about the trials and triumphs of her career in the new book that she is writing, as well as through her YouTube channel. Kamerin was a member of the 2008-2009 US junior national team and trained alongside 2012 Olympic champion Jordyn Wieber throughout her career. After competing for the University of Nebraska on a full ride scholarship during her freshman year, Kamerin was forced to retire due to nagging injuries. We recently caught up with Kamerin to talk about some of her favorite gymnastics memories, her sudden retirement from the sport, and what the future holds.

How did you get started in gymnastics? 

I started gymnastics when I was one. My mom took me to a “mom-and-tot” class and the rest is history!

What are some of your earliest gymnastics memories? 

I remember my first day at Twistars when I was six. The first thing that happened when I got there was John Geddert had me do a series of “tests.” The tests involved doing kips and aerials, etc. After that, he brought me over to the group of girls that I was going to be training with. He introduced me to them while they did oversplits on a panel-mat and told Jordyn Wieber that she was in charge of showing me how things worked around there.  

Speaking of Jordyn, you two basically grew up in the gym together. Considering you were the only elites in the gym, did you ever feel any competitiveness between you two? 

I don’t remember ever feeling like we were competing against each other. If we were competing at a club meet then we were competing for Twistars, and if we were competing at an international meet then we were competing for the USA. We were just a team competing against other teams. People liked to talk and compare us, but in the gym we were never against each other.

As a member of the junior national team you got to travel around the world and represent the USA, what was that experience like? Do you have any funny stories to share? 

Making the junior national team was a huge blessing for me. Traveling internationally for competitions was interesting to say the least. Being able to visit different countries and experience the culture is something most 12/13 year olds don’t usually get to do, so I’m extremely grateful to have those amazing memories. A funny memory I have from when Jordyn and I were in Belgium was on our last day there. Belgium is famous for their waffles so our coach got Jo and I a chocolate covered waffle to share. John is very strict about food, as most coaches are, and Jo thought it was a trick so she was scared to eat it. She took one small bite out of the corner and I ate the rest because I wasn’t about to decline a chocolate covered Belgian waffle no matter what the circumstances were! 

In 2008 you and Jordyn had the opportunity to perform at the post Olympic tour and sign autographs afterwards, what was that experience like? 

The tour came to Michigan for two shows so Jo and I got to be involved for those shows. I don't know how exactly it came about, but I imagine someone contacted our coach, John Geddert. It was so much fun! We got to meet Jordan Pruitt and create a fun floor routine that had a "MSU vs. U of M" theme. I got to "represent" MSU since that's where my mom went to college. It was a great experience. 

You've dealt with injuries throughout your entire career, can you talk about some of the ups and downs you've faced? 

 I had a serious injury every year from 11 to 17 years old. It seemed like it was never ending and my injuries ultimately ended up being the reason I had to give up elite gymnastics and then collegiate gymnastics as well. I had surgery on both of my shoulders, my right hip, and my left foot. Both my shoulder surgeries took 6 months in recovery and my hip took 8 months. I can’t even remember a time I wasn’t doing physical therapy since my first surgery took place to the end of my gymnastics career. If there was one positive from that experience though, it was learning how to deal with life when it doesn’t go the way you planned.

Was there ever a time where you just wanted to give up? What kept you motivated to keep pushing through? 

 I felt like giving up a lot and a few times I did. I must’ve “quit gymnastics” two or three times for various reasons, but I was always back in the gym within a week. My mom always motivated me to stick with it. She knew how much I had sacrificed for gymnastics and giving up on anything isn’t in her nature, so she always helped me push through the hard times.

Your hard work and determination paid off after receiving a full ride scholarship to Nebraska. Why did you pick Nebraska and is it true that you didn't go on any other visits? 

I chose UNL because it had a small town feel and I was very close with one of the assistant coaches. I had known Dan Miller basically my whole life so I was comfortable around him. I didn’t go on any other official visits, but that’s only because I had verbally committed to UNL my sophomore year of high school. I visited a few other colleges before deciding on Nebraska. 

After competing a few times during your freshman year, you medically retired during your sophomore year. Can you talk about how hard it was to make that decision? 

That decision was really hard and what made it even more difficult was that I only had a short time to make it. There are no words to describe how it feels to give up the one thing that made you feel special throughout your life. Gymnastics was my whole world for as long as I can remember, but in the end I had to do what I thought was right. Putting my body through any more just didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

Are you still involved with the team in any way? 

I would have liked to stay involved with the team and I tried to, but in the end it didn’t work out. 

Looking back now, what would you consider to be the highlight of your career? 

I think the highlight of my career was when my team won the US vs Japan competition. The girls I competed with made that trip so much fun, and that was the competition I remember feeling the most accomplished after.

How has life after gymnastics been? Was the transition any easier than you expected? 

 Life after gymnastics was really hard at first. I felt like I didn’t know who I was if I wasn’t a gymnast and I spent a lot of time crying and not knowing why. Things eventually got better though and now I’ve realized that this is just an opportunity for me to explore all the things I never had the time to do before.

What does the future hold for you? Do you plan to continue making YouTube videos?  

I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I’m heading in the right direction! I’m graduating college in a year and a half and I just started writing a book about my life. So if anyone has any questions for me I’d love to hear them so I can answer them in the book! I do plan to continue making Youtube videos as well. I’ve actually put up at least one new video every day since I put the first one up. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much, but I’m glad I did because it’s become a fun hobby of mine now! (You can subscribe to Kamerin on YouTube by clicking here.)  

Any questions or comments regarding Kamerin's book, please email them to her at kamischannel@gmail.com. She would love to hear from you! 

Interview | Eythora Thorsdottir

With a little over two months to go until the Rio Olympics, seventeen year old Eythora Thorsdottir is one of the fan favorites and considered by many to be a lock for the Dutch Olympic team. Thorsdottir brings a unique performance quality to the sport that is refreshing to watch. Her gymnastics is not only clean and precise, but she has a natural elegance and charisma that the crowd just dies for. After dealing with a serious back injury, Thorsdottir emerged onto the scene winning gold on floor at the Ljubljana World Cup. She was also a member of the team that helped the Netherlands qualify a full team to the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. So far this year, Eythora has been off to a solid start- winning bronze on beam at the International Gymnix and winning every event except for beam at the IAG Sport Event. At that competition she debuted several upgrades which means she'll be a great asset to the Netherlands team in Rio! Check out our interview with Eythora below. 

How did you get started in gymnastics? 
My school teacher saw that I had some talent for gymnastics in the school gym classes, so she recommended that my parents put me in gymnastics.

Did you have a role model when you were younger? 
I guess Nastia Liukin. I really loved her lines and her style!

When did you realize you had the potential to become a world class athlete? 
Well that's a difficult question. [Laughs] Umm...I think that was after the YEC in Brussels or after the EYOF in Utrecht. Those were my first international competitions as a junior. But I knew that if I wanted to get on the top I would have to keep working very hard for it.

How would you sum up the experience of your first World Championships? 
Overall it was a good experience. I went out there with no expectations because it was my first Worlds and I didn't really know how good I was compared to the other gymnasts. So I just wanted to do the best I could and see where I would end up. I was really happy that I made it into beam finals. I was hoping for the all-around final too, but I became first reserve. Of course my beam finals didn't go as planned but I learned a lot from it and was happy to know that I belonged to the top eight beam workers in the world!

Can you describe the moment you found out Netherlands had qualified a full team to the Olympics? 
Wow, well that was the best feeling ever. Throughout the whole competition I didn't even notice that we could make it into the top eight. After our last gymnast landed her vault we all stared at the scoreboard and realized we were in the top eight. We all started jumping, crying, and hugging each other. That night we all felt as if it was a dream come true. The next morning we had a little celebration!

Can you talk about your new floor routine and what character you are trying to portray? 
This new routine is choreographed by my coach Patrick Kiens. [The character] is kind of about a creature, lets say a vampire or zombie, that has risen from her grave. This is because she has died way too young and in a disturbing way. She is restless and starts bugging people, in the way of scaring them, etc. At the end she finds satisfaction and goes back to her grave. It's a totally different story, but it's fun to do something new. I like it a lot!




How much time do you spend working on the artistic component of the sport? 
Very much time! I work on it everyday with actually everything I do. With every routine I try to get it as clean as possible. Some days I work on my beam or floor choreography specifically.

The Olympics are right around the corner, does that make you nervous or excited? 
Both I guess. Of course you get more nervous than usual but it also gives you more motivation and energy.

Do you plan on adding anymore upgrades between now and then? 
I don't know yet, we'll see. I'm already very happy with the upgrades that I showed earlier this year.


Eythora competing her yurchenko double for the first time

What are your goals for the rest of this year? 
Honestly, I haven't thought of that one. I'm just really focused on [making it to] the Olympics for now.

There has been some talk of you potentially doing college gymnastics someday, is that true? If so, what schools might you be considering? 
Yes that is true. Both UCLA and Stanford have reached out to me. Honestly, I really don't know yet. Right now I'm only focusing on getting onto the Dutch Olympic Team. After that I'll start thinking about it.

Where would you like to see yourself 10 years from now? 
I hope somewhere in the musical business.

What has been your proudest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? 
I think being apart of the team that qualified for the Olympics.

Thank you Eythora! We wish you all the best in the coming months! 

Watch List | New Elites in 2016

The year of an Olympic Games always brings some fresh new faces in the junior elite scene. With all eyes on the seniors contending for spots on the 2016 Olympic team, it can be easy to overlook the talented emerging in the junior field. We bring you a list some of the new names you'll see this season. Could some of these first year elites be the stars of the next quad?

Riley McCusker | MG Elite 


Riley moved to MG elite last year and already shows a lot of potential and promise. She qualified to elite in March and just recently secured her spot at the P&G Championships after a strong showing at the American Classic. Despite falling on bars, she finished 5th all-around and had a very solid beam set that got her the bronze medal. Earlier this year she won the all-around title at the Parkettes Invite and KPAC Cup. In February she was offered a full ride scholarship to the powerhouse Florida Gators gymnastics team and it was no surprise when she committed-- following in the footsteps of her teammates Laurie Hernandez and Jazmyn Foberg. Riley is a beautiful gymnast to watch thanks to her nice lines, great flexibility, and gorgeous toe point. Coach Maggie Haney has a way of turning her girls into stars regardless of how rough their first year of elite may go, so that gives me some piece of mind as Riley heads into Classics and Nationals-- not that we doubt her abilities to perform well this season, it's just nice to know that she's in the hands of someone who has lots of experience helping gymnasts reach their full potential. With a little more experience over the next few years and some upgrades, Riley is going to be one to keep our eyes on!

Irina Alexeeva | WOGA


Irina Alexeeva might be a name you're already familiar with. The gymnastics world first fell in love with her when she was about nine years old and she's been on the watch list ever since. When we interviewed Irina in 2012, she told us that she has dual citizenship and would like to compete for her native Russia someday, but ultimately it appears she has decided to stick with competing elite in the United States. She has competed at the elite level several times in the last few years at competitions such as the WOGA Classic, HNI, Gymnix and Elite Gym Massilia, but this will be her first year competing at the major US elite meets. At the American Classic this past weekend, Irina placed third all-around despite falling on bars, which is one of her strongest events. We don't see a laid-out jaeger too often, especially not from a junior! In addition to bars, Irina also shows a lot of potential on beam where she has a whopping 16.2 start value. Her style reminds me a lot of her WOGA teammate, Alyssa Baumann. Not only do they have similar lines, but they are both strong all-around gymnasts who specialize on bars and beam. Irina has posted some solid numbers under the elite scoring system so far, so I can't wait to see how she does this summer.

Jaymes Marshall | TIGAR


Jaymes Marshall turned heads when she competed an amanar vault at JO Nationals-- a vault that is almost unheard of from somebody her age and at a level 10 competition. At just twelve years of age, she has a floor routine that is equally as impressive. She opens with a double layout, does a whip to triple as her second pass (that is slightly under rotated in the video above, but she nailed it at the American Classic) her third pass is a sky high double pike and she finishes with an impressive tucked full-in. (That gives her a very solid 16.0 start value!) At the American Classic she placed 2nd all-around and first on vault with a 15.5, locking in her spot at the P&G Championships! As a level 10 earlier this year, Jaymes won the Regional title and placed 2nd all-around at States. Notably she has scored two perfect 10's on vault this year- one at the Pikes Peak Cup and one at the Colorado State Championships. With her big skills and high scoring potential, Jaymes could really make the junior field interesting this season.

Kiya Johnson | Texas Dreams 


As a level 10, Kiya has showed she is a strong and well balanced all-around gymnast. She is a two-time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier and won the all-around, vault, and beam title in 2015!  At her first elite meet, the American Classic, she didn't have the best all-around performance but she debuted several new skills including a yurchenko double on vault which gave her the bronze. Kiya is great on floor as well, competing both a double layout and an arabian double front to stag jump. With 1991 World Champion Kim Zmeskal as her coach, Kiya is in very good hands as she heads down the elite route. I think with a little more experience, she will have an impressive elite career!

Sunisa Lee | Midwest

If you follow Sunisa on Instagram (@sunisalee_) then chances are you're probably already in love with this little one. Sunisa is very talented and shows great flexibility and potential. Last year she competed as a pre-elite where she won the all-around and bar title at the US Challenge. Sunisa has the skills, she just needs to work on cleaning it all up. She posts a lot of impressive training videos on her Instagram (even when she injures her arm and is in a cast.) We like this little one a lot and if she continues to work hard...we have no doubts she will become a star someday.

Cameron Machado | First State 


Cameron is another young one who shows a lot of potential. She doesn't have the most difficulty or as much polish as some of the other girls, but I could see that developing naturally over time. Like Sunisa, Cameron also posts a lot of training videos on her Instagram ( @cam.machado13) so we know the potential for big skills is there. At the recent JO Nationals, Cameron's best finish came on bars where she placed 3rd. At the American Classic she placed 7th on bars, 13th all-around, and qualified for the P&G Championships.


Which new elites are you excited to see this season? 

Interview with Alexis Beucler

Alexis "Poof" Beucler is a former elite gymnast who just wrapped up her club career and will be competing for NC State next season. The road has been anything but easy for her, between injuries and leaving her family behind to continue pursing her dreams with a new coach, but ultimately she never gave up and that's what we love about her!

We recently chatted with Alexis to reflect back on her career and find out what the future holds.

How did you get started in gymnastics? 
I started gymnastics because I saw what my sister could do and I wanted to be able to do it too.

What was it like training side by side with her?
I loved training with my sister! We had a healthy competition. We pushed each other to do our best. We always tried to see who would get what skills the quickest and things like that. We are always there for each other and very close!

Alexis with her sister Marissa, who just completed her career at the University of Kentucky

For most of your career you trained at CGA under Mary Lee Tracy. What was that experience like? 
It definitely made me a tougher athlete mentally and physically, but I would prefer to not go deeper into this.

You've seemed to mature a lot both mentally and in your gymnastics since that time. What advice would you give to young athletes when it comes to the mental aspect of the sport? 
You can never stop believing in yourself and never let anyone tell you that you can't do something. I always went by 'fake it till you make it,' because I wasn't always confident and that helped me become it. With me having to make the decision to move from Ohio made me mature pretty quick being without my family.

How has Brandy Johnson's gym been different and perhaps better for you? 
It is a more positive atmosphere where I could continue to grow as a gymnast. The coaches have helped me get back on track mentally. I immediately felt like I was apart of a family as soon as I stepped in the doors. I enjoy this gym so much that I've given up living with my parents and siblings for over three years.

Through all your ups and downs, what pushed you to keep going? 
I had a fire in me to prove people wrong and do the best that I could and improve myself. I watched meet videos to remind myself what I could do and keep myself motivated.

In the gymnastics world you are known as "Poof," how did that nickname come about? 
The nickname came about because I have super curly hair!

What has been some of the highlights of your career so far? 
The highlights of my career so far have been hitting 8 for 8 at Visa Championships, tying with Simone Biles on floor in 2nd place at the American Classic, and at this years JO Nationals it was great being able to hit 4 for 4.



Do you have any pre meet rituals? 
My mom couldn't always make it to my meets so she would always send me bible verses and a quote the day of the meet. If I have a late session, I take a nap before it. I have my teammate, Payton, braid my hair and I always have to be chewing gum!

What is something that most people might not know about you? 
I love watching Criminal Minds!

You were originally committed to the University of Georgia but signed with NC State last November. What went into making that decision? 
I didn't have a choice with that decision but I do feel that God does everything for a reason and he's putting me exactly in the place that I'm supposed to be. I'm very excited to be apart of the pack! Go Pack!

Are you working on any upgrades or new skills for college? 
On bars I'm working on tkatchevs and toe fulls. On beam I'm working on back handspring-back handspring-layout, side aerials, switch halfs, and front aerials. On floor I'm working piked full-ins, double arabians, and double layouts.

What are some of your goals for the future? 
I hit my goal for this season by hitting 4 for 4. My goal for next season will be to compete all-around for NC State. I can't wait to be in the team atmosphere and help the team make it to Nationals!