Young gymnast eyes future success

HOWARD - To be an elite gymnast requires plenty of innate talent, dedication and it doesn’t hurt to get a head start on the competition.

"Just a lot of training and a lot of hard work,” said gymnast Gabrielle Toonen.

Toonen is just 11-years-old, but is already excelling in the gym. In just 4 years of competition, Toonen’s already vaulted to level 8 out of the 10 levels of competitive gymnastics.

"It's really hard to get to the next level because you're at a certain point right now and you want to keep progressing, and sometimes it even gets a little frustrating trying to get to the next skill,” said Toonen, who is currently working towards level 9. “When you work really hard and have a lot of determination, you can get there."

Recently, Gabrielle competed in the Wisconsin state meet at level 8, earning the state championship in her age group. Her accomplishments didn’t stop there.

“While she was state champion in her own age group, she was #1 in the state when compared against all the other athletes in the state at her level,” said Jennie Beyer, who coaches Toonen at Air Force Gymnastics in Howard.

At the regional competition, Gabrielle competed against level 8 gymnasts of all ages, including gymnasts up to 17 years old, from around the Midwest.

"You can look up to [the older gymnasts] and see how mature they are and in their gymnastics skills,” said Toonen. “They're so supportive of me when I go, so it's really fun competing with all the ages."

From here, Toonen’s goals are high. She wants to compete in college at the University of Georgia, and her sights are set even beyond the NCAA.

“I think for every gymnast the goal is to go to the Olympics, and that's the same for me, too,” said Toonen, “but I focus on the moment, take it step by step, and with a lot of hard work, determination and the right mindset I think I'll be on that track."

She already has Olympic-level composure, it may only be a matter of time until her talent catches up.