Alyssa Heyerdahl is a senior and a member of the Arrowhead Varsity Girls Gymnastics Team. She has been in gymnastics since the age of three but quite at the age of 10 because it became too much of a hassle.
Freshman year, Heyerdahl decided to participate in a winter sport, that’s when she got back into gymnastics. “Getting back into gymnastics after being out of it for four years was tough, but by practicing five days a week for two and a half hours, it became more natural.”
The hard work and dedication of getting back to where she used to be, in the gymnastics world paid off. Heyerdahl has gone to state for the three years, and has helped Arrowhead Varsity Gymnastics achieve yet another State Championship. She contributed the most in her best event, vault.
“Vault is my best event, I love being able to do different skills.” Heyerdahl says. She has always scored highest in the vaulting event and hopes to keep down the same path for her senior year. When asked about her biggest goal for her last year of high school gymnastics, she said, “I hope to go to state, but also learn new stunts that I had trouble with in previous years. I also hope to score higher in uneven bars because that is my worst event.”
Heyerdahl has a set goal and plans to achieve it. “I can only get there by working hard and not giving up. That’s a personal thing I have to work on. When I can’t land a difficult stunt, I start to doubt myself.”
Heyerdahl says that working with her coach has helped her with that problem. “Coach is really good and calming us down when we get in our heads. She knows just what to say and at the right times. Whenever I feel like I will never be able to land a new stunt, coach reassures me that I can and will get that stunt down. I don’t know how she does it, but somehow she always lifts us up.”
The trust that Heyerdahl has in her coach, and faith that her coach has in her had been a major part of her success. “Gymnastics is more than a sport. It’s my passion.”