I couldn’t be more proud of Chloe.  At 13 she is proving to be so much more than I could have asked for.  From the way she just digs in and helps me at just the right moments, or how hard working and reliable she is, but most of all I am proud of how far she has come in her strength of character.  Gymnastics has been a part (most of) her life since she was 3.  It has never come easy, and there were moments we thought it was time to end it, but she has pushed through.  They say you can’t truly appreciate the good things in life without experiencing the not so good.  Chloe has spent most competitions not medaling at all, making some small improvement in one event, only to fall apart on another one (or two).  Through all of it she has loved the sport, loved her gymnastics family, cheered and supported her teammates in all of their wins and losses.

For the first time this year Chloe finally hit a place where she feels success, where she feels proud and happy with what she has done.  We have been so pleased to see her come in to her own, to see her feel more grounded and comfortable, and a whole lot less nervous.  For however long this lasts we will be grateful for this time in her gymnastics life.  I took this photo to help her remember, to remember the success and know that all the hard work did pay off.  We want her to know that she is strong and beautiful in so many ways, and that, “Your best will ALWAYS be good enough.”