Say hello to an enthusiastic, young gymnast who has her sights set high on the future!
HC UIC: Hi, Catherine! It’s so great to see you. What year are you in school, and what’s your major?
CATHERINE: I’m a junior, and I am double majoring here at UIC. I’m studying theater and psychology.
HC UIC: What are you plans after college?
CATHERINE: After college I am planning on auditioning for the Cirque de Soleil and hopefully being cast as a performer. After that, I would like to go to grad school to become a social worker.
HC UIC: I know that you’re on the gymnastics team here at UIC. What age did you begin gymnastics, and how did it all begin?
CATHERINE: When I was four, my parents decided to have me try gymnastics and were planning to have me try many sports to find my true passion. I immediately fell in love with the sport and never quit. I’ve been doing gymnastics for 16 years now, and I still love the sport.
HC UIC: Did you ever think about trying out for the Olympics? Have you personally won any medals/trophies?
CATHERINE: When I was 13 years old, I was selected on the Canadian National Team. At this time, there were only 7 girls in my level who got to be part of the team. I would compete wearing the Canadian maple leaf on my leotard, and it felt amazing to represent my country all around the world during internationals meets. When I was 15 years old, in 2007, my coach thought I had a chance to make the Beijing Olympic team, and I would train 30 hours a week to achieve it. However, since Canada didn’t place in the top 12 countries at the world championship, Canada could only send 2 girls to the Olympics, and I was 6th in the ranking that year (a full team is usually 7).
HC UIC: What has your best memory been with the UIC gymnastics team?
CATHERINE: Last year we had great team chemisty in and out of the gym, and we qualified for the NCAA regional championships, which UIC hadn’t qualified for in many years. Every single one of us gave all we had for our team. I remember sitting in the coach’s office waiting for the final year’s results to come out and to know if we had qualified or not. The excitement felt when we heard we were in was incredible.
HC UIC: Will gymnastics always be in your life?
CATHERINE: I believe it will. I will always love watching gymnastics whether it is the Olympics on TV, college gymnastics, or even little kids doing it.
HC UIC: When’s your next competition and where?
CATHERINE: Our season starts in January and goes until April. Our first meet is January 7th at home versus Penn State. Then off to California against UC Davis!