Blog · Geriatric Gymnast · Managing injuries

My One-Year Snapiversary

Oh, what a difference a year makes. 12 months ago, I was laid up on the couch in a cast. Today, I have 365 days worth of recovery stories. This is my end-of-year recap.

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast · Managing injuries

Achilles Tendon Recovery: 10 Weeks Post-Surgery Progress

It's been ten weeks since the surgeon put my Achilles tendon back together again. This article shares exercises I'm working on, strategies for pain and fear management, and my comeback progress.

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

Overcoming Gymnastics Anxiety: My Back Handspring Journey

The summer of 2024 was a bonanza of gymnastics progress. I managed to avoid injury, and I had some pretty cool successes. There was a ton of breaking through some deep-seated Mr. Lizard fear of going backwards on the TumblTrak. In this article, I share my progress and the personal strategies I've used to get… Continue reading Overcoming Gymnastics Anxiety: My Back Handspring Journey

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

Inspiring Others: Adult Gymnastics, Resilience, and Shared Passion

Sometimes, it's hard to express what some things mean to you. Sometimes, the right words just come pouring out. And sometimes, you get to share that with someone who needs to hear it. Finding the words I found a new gymnastics group on Facebook where I started posting my progress videos. Today, as I was… Continue reading Inspiring Others: Adult Gymnastics, Resilience, and Shared Passion

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast · Managing injuries

Rebuilding Confidence: How to Overcome Fear After an Injury

Coming back from a physical injury is a great feat. Conquering the mental fallout is like winning the Olympic gold medal. This article chronicles the steps I took on the long road to overcoming fear. Trust the process. Iโ€™ve written a lot about managing fear and the effects our Lizard brain has on our ability… Continue reading Rebuilding Confidence: How to Overcome Fear After an Injury

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast · Mid-Life Musings

Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp

Stepping out of your comfort zone is always a challenge. This article talks about preparing to take a giant leap out of mine. While I've been flipping for 16 years now, I have never flipped anywhere but my home gym. In the past year or two, I've seen lots of adult gymnastics "camp" and competition… Continue reading Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast · Mid-Life Musings

Promoting adult gymnastics

Gymnastics is not just for kids anymore. This is a story of a recent encounter I had with a fellow writer, athlete and coach who is doing a deep dive into the expanding realm of adult gymnastics. I recently made a new flippy friend! Out of the blue, I got an email that caught my… Continue reading Promoting adult gymnastics

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

Inspiring Through Adult Gymnastics

Last June, I published Why Do I Post So Much?, a reflection on all of the gymnastics stuff I put on social media. At the time, I had posted a video that was getting some attention (over 140K views, which is gargantuan for my little account). As others commented how inspired they were by the… Continue reading Inspiring Through Adult Gymnastics

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

A Primer for Back Tucks on the Trampoline

This article is designed to help gymnasts who are struggling with their back tucks on the trampoline. It offers lots of how-to tips and detailed, step-by-step descriptions of the hows and whys of the drills I've personally used to improve my technique. One of the main questions I often get relates to getting over the… Continue reading A Primer for Back Tucks on the Trampoline

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

Mental Breakthroughs 2

Two years ago, I wrote an article about some of the mental blocks I've managed, largely due to injuries sustained, and the mental breakthroughs I've made in trying to overcome them. Months later, I did a little research and realized that the reason for the blocks was due to our lizard brain, the part of… Continue reading Mental Breakthroughs 2

Blog · Self Care

Making strides

Thereโ€™s a familiar squeeze in my chest whenever I start something new, especially when Iโ€™m doing it by myself. Anticipatory anxiety creeps in as Iโ€™m approach the task. Today's hike was a good example of how I manage the continuum of fear.

Geriatric Gymnast

Progress isn’t linear

"Progress isn't linear" is one of my favorite sayings. It applies to everyone for everything that we work for, but I have had to lean into it as I have spent my time over the last 15 years doing adult gymnastics. It's how I have been able to keep flipping in my 50s.

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

Our lizard brain

The brain, in all its complexities, can help us or harm us, depending on the day, our mood, or the direction of the wind. We know that anxiety is a killer beast, and at the gym, it can really get in the way of progress.

Blog · Geriatric Gymnast

My Evolution as a Gymnastics Coach

A perspective on my evolution as a Geriatric Gymnast coach. My goal is to offer a safe space where grownups get to explore their inner child. Celebrating their successes fills me with joy.