When Lindsay Kiedaisch ’14 walked into Tumble Bugs for her first gymnastics class at the ripe age of four, she had no idea she would fall in love with the sport. Now, 11 years and countless hours of practice, competition, and dedication later, she has emerged as a dominant athlete on the Staples Gymnastics team.
Kiedaisch spends nearly eight hours a week practicing with the Staples team, in addition to competing with the Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy (GCA) in Fairfield for an additional 12 hours a week. All of this time certainly worked to Kiedaisch’s benefit throughout the off-season and this winter with the Staples team.
“[Training with GCA] definitely worked to Lindsay’s benefit as it kept her in shape for high school season and helped her gain new skills,” said Michelle Elsas ’12, the manager of the team who was unable to compete this season due to injury, “I am certain that Lindsay will continue to improve with all of her hard work and determination” said Elsas.
One thing that Kiedaisch valued throughout the season was her experience with her teammates. The Staples Gymnastics team is one of the smallest teams at Staples, which Kiediasch looks at as an advantage for the team.
“Having a small team is sometimes the best part,” said Kiedasich. “We are all so close and it makes the season memorable to spend it with very few people.”
Although the team may be small, Staples Gymnastics is not short on talent. This year, the team placed sixth at the Class L State Championship, with solid scores on the vault, and bars especially.
Kiedaisch’s performance at the State meet was a culmination of all of her hard work throughout the year to gear up for her Staples season. She earned an impressive 8.0 in the vault category. After spending several months without gymnastics due to a dislocated shoulder along with nerve damage throughout the shoulder and back, Kiedaisch’s return to her sport was long awaited.
Overall, Kiedaisch has high expectations for her future as a gymnast.
“I just want to keep working as hard at this high competitive level and always be proud of my performance, “ Kiedaisch said. “Who knows, some day I might make college gymnastics but I just have to stay positive and believe in myself.”
With a bright future ahead, Staples looks forward to hearing of the accomplishments of Kiedaisch and the rest of the gymnastics team in the 2012-2013 season.
