January 24, 2022
Senior Jenna Lamberty has been participating in gymnastics since she was two years old and has loved it ever since. Lamberty has also participated in high school gymnastics for all four years. As a child, Lamberty was very active and hyper.
“I was always doing little jumps and always climbing on things,” Lamberty said. “So my parents were like, ‘Oh, what if we put her in gymnastics?’”
The moment she stepped onto the mat was the moment she fell in love with gymnastics; she has been competing ever since. Lamberty loves practicing gymnastics and working on her skills, but also enjoys watching her teammates grow and work on their skills as well.
“Doing routines every day is so fun, as well as hanging out and doing the sport that you love with all of your friends; it’s so fun to watch each other improve,” Lamberty said.
Gymnastics is a team sport, so having good teammates makes the sport fun and enjoyable. A teammate of Lamberty’s, junior Arlene Pierce, enjoys having Lamberty as a teammate because of how caring and friendly she is.
“[Lamberty] loves to communicate, even outside of practices and meets, and she’s very willing to get to know her teammates outside of gymnastics,” Pierce said.
Since gymnastics is such a time consuming sport, Lamberty does not have a lot of time to do much else. When she has free time, however, she spends it hanging out with her friends.
She often spends time with one of her closest friends Kayleigh Wieska, who has been friends with Lamberty since second grade.
“On [the] weekends, we can always find time to do something, even if it’s just sitting at each other’s houses and watching TV,” Wieska said.
Wieska has been there for Lamberty every step of the way, and she pushes Lamberty to be the best she can be.
During Lamberty’s sophomore year of highschool, she sprained four different parts of her ankle and had a bone bruise, all during the gymnastics season. This was a setback for her since she was not able to compete for six months, but this did not stop Lamberty from staying in shape and working on the skills she could perform.
“I would still come to the gym to condition and I’d still do skills and events that didn’t require an ankle,” Lamberty said.
After Lamberty healed, she was quick to get right back into gymnastics due to her dedication to the sport. Conditioning and practicing while she was injured helped her get right back into the groove of gymnastics.
Lamberty’s biggest support system is her parents because of how much they care about her and her gymnastics career. Her parents have been there for her every step of the way.
“They’ve been to every single meet,” Lamberty said. “My family has never missed one meet. [They] used to watch practices so that they always knew what skills I was working on, so they kind of helped me get those skills.”
Additionally, her parents help to calm her nerves before meets and events.
“I tend to stress out before meets because it’s a lot of pressure, so they tell me that no matter what happens to me, they’re always proud of me and always supporting; they help me a lot,” Lamberty said.
Having a good support system helps Lamberty reach her full potential. Becoming the best gymnast she can be is made easier by not only her parents supporting her, but her friends and teammates as well.
One person that has also always been there for Lamberty is her gymnastics coach, Debbie Bessette, who has been there for Lamberty her whole career. She and her coach have created a very special connection, which is very important to Lamberty.
“She’s been with me through all my mental blocks, like family drama, school stuff, everything,” Lamberty said. “She’s always there for me. I’ve been with her since I was two, so she’s like a second mom to me. [We even] have Starbucks dates.”
Lamberty is truly lucky to have so many people who care about her and support her through her hard times.
To prepare for gymnastic competitions, Lamberty has a notebook that she keeps all her practices and meets organized in.
“I write every single practice and all my goals for every event before every practice and meet,” Lamberty said. “I just like looking back because I’ve done this since freshman year. Looking back on my scores and my accomplishments helps me push myself to do better.”
Lamberty has been competing for a long time, but one of her favorite gymnastics moments was last year when she overcame COVID-19 and placed top 12 at state.
“I practiced for like a month after my injury to get ready for state, and then COVID hit and I couldn’t practice at all,” Lamberty said. “As we started going back to the gym, I got COVID.”
Lamberty has been competing her whole life in gymnastics and loves the sport. Competing at a collegiate level is difficult, but Lamberty has unmatched skills and dedication.
She does not yet know if she wants to compete at the upper level, but if she did, her dream college would be Florida State.
“Florida State has such a good gymnastics team, and I just I’ve always liked [them],” Lamberty said. “I know it doesn’t matter, but their leotards are always cute, and they’re also a D1 school.”
Lamberty has a bright future ahead of her, whether she decides to just focus on academics in college or if she decides to continue her gymnastics career.
