News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Brooklyn Haken, left, 12, and Maggie Bidasolo, 10, are outstanding gymnasts.
You won't find Brooklyn Haken or Maggie Bidasolo hanging out after school playing computer games or watching TV.
Instead they'll be at the Redmond Gymnastics Center for four hours at a time, perfecting the skills that have made each girl a champion.
Haken, 12, is a Level 7 standout, taking three first-place medals in state competition in March. She took the all-around title for her age group, with her score coming in second for all ages of Level 7, from seven to 17.
She also took firsts in the floor exercise and the uneven bars. Her second-place finish in balance beam was .025 points behind the winner. She finished eighth in vault.
Maggie Bidasolo, 10, took first place in her age group at Level 5 in balance beam. She also placed second in the floor exercise and fourth overall.
Bidasolo is coming back from a broken elbow, which set her progress back a bit.
"I love the thrill of, like, flying around," Bidasolo said. "It's just one of those sports that keeps you motivated and going back to the gym every day."
Haken has dreams of becoming an Olympian ("Me, too!" Bidasolo says).
Age restrictions mean that Haken's shot would come in the 2016 Olympics, when she is 19.
Training at such a high level requires dedication and a lot of time - from family members as well as the young gymnasts.
"We just totally gave up on school," mom Maureen Bidasolo said. "We started home schooling in March."
So far, the home schooling experiment is working, giving the family enough time to manage schooling, practice and mom's job.
"I love it," Maggie said of her new school option. "It's one of the best choices our family has made. I feel I've learned more, because I'm kind of an independent person."
Maggie idolizes Olympian Shawn Johnson, who went from Olympic competition in Beijing to the championship of the reality show "Dancing With the Stars."
Both girls think that's a career path they could embrace.
Asked if they see themselves doing what Johnson did, both said, "OH, yeah!"
And giggled.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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