ST. JOHNS MAGAZINE
  • Home
    • Home & Style blog
    • Beauty, Fashion & Home
    • Real Estate >
      • Real Estate St. Johns BLOG
      • Neighborhoods of Northern St. Johns
      • New Construction
      • Featured Communities >
        • Focus on Trailmark
        • Focus on Shearwater
        • Focus on Nocatee
        • Age Restricted Communities
    • Travel
    • Back to school
    • Books We Love
  • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Wellness >
      • BLOG Health & Wellness Providers BLOG
    • Calendar Blog
    • Trivia Nights
    • Parks in St. Johns
    • Golf Courses
    • Autism Resources >
      • SJM Autism Blog
    • Summer Camp
    • Beaches
    • Farmer's Markets
  • Dining
    • Restaurant Guide
    • My Wandering Fork
    • Local Chefs Series
  • Digital
  • About
    • Schedule a phone call
    • Demographics & Distribution
    • Past Issues
    • Testimonials
    • Graphic Design Services
  • Best of SJ
  • FAQ

Tumbling Into the Future

6/28/2018

0 Comments

 
by Debbie Gaylord

​Young Gymnast Emerson Hurst Receives
​Full Ride College Scholarship

Picture
     ​It is safe to say the future is bright for Emerson Hurst, a dynamic 17 year-old gymnast from St. Johns. She recently returned from the Junior Olympic Nationals in Ohio where she was one of the top competing gymnasts; placing 2nd on Beam, 3rd on Bars, 3rd on Floor, 11th on Vault and 13th All Around. In June she graduated from Bartram Trail High School and has accepted a full-ride scholarship to Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland where she will compete on the gymnastics team this Fall.  
In this highly competitive sport that requires singular strength, fearlessness, sacrifice and determination how did Emerson reach this level as an athlete?
     The journey began at age 4 when she started classes at Starlight Gymnastics in Mandarin. She was invited to join Starlight’s developmental team program when she was about 8 years old and eventually worked her way up to the highest level team. In 10th grade she began training 25-27 hours each week at the gym taking academic classes through the Florida Virtual School.  
Emerson attributes her success to over a decade of training with coaches Vessy Danailova, Owner of Starlight Gymnastics, and Cheri Gillikin.  “Being part of the team at Starlight is like being part of a family and my coaches are more than just coaches”.  She says they taught her values like loyalty and how to work toward her goals. “I will miss them. But I’ll be back to visit,” she adds with a smile.
Picture
​     Coaches are an integral part dealing with challenges as well.  Athletes like Emerson perform double-backflips, full-twisting layouts, aerials on the beam and front flips off the bars. Fear is inevitable but overcoming that fear is a necessity.  A good coach understand this mental aspect of the sport.  When Emerson was first on the Starlight team she was terrified of back tumbling.  Coaches Cheri and husband Gill Gillikin worked with her over and over on a double backflip, first on the tumble track with spotting, then moving to belt spotting until finally she was ready to do it every time without help.  Today Emerson works a double back twisting flip with ease into her floor routine, and a triple series on the beam that includes a front-aerial, back-handspring and back layout combination!  I guess you could say she overcame the mental block.
      This past year early in the season she suffered a shoulder injury caused by the repetitive stress of a difficult move on the bars called a Tkatchev.  Rather than get surgery during the competitive season, she got the go-ahead from her doctor and waited until the season was over.  This meant ignoring the pain, which was no easy task. But she was determined to be able to compete at Nationals and will heal in time to compete at Towson University.  In order to keep up her strength she does intense conditioning exercises at Starlight 2-3 days per week.
    Emerson said she has always maintained her love of gymnastics and is grateful to her Mom who, before every meet would say, “go have fun!”. She says young gymnasts should focus on working hard to improve skills but remember to always do what you love.  When you accomplish a goal, celebrate it!
    Emerson was recently tagged in the top 10 most anticipated incoming college freshman to watch on beam.  She says she is looking forward to college level competition and helping her team.  She will be busy studying sports management with a minor in business. Who knows, Maybe someday she will own her own gymnastics gym just like Starlight!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    St. Johns Magazine
    Debbie Gaylord

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    100 Years: One Day At A Time
    Artist
    Bartram Trail High School
    Beluthahatchee
    Best Buddies St. Johns
    Blue Sky Dental Group 2019
    Chris Phelps
    Coastal Casual
    Cole Slate
    Dr. Christopher Henry Of Henry Advanced Orthodontics
    Dr. Kathleen Deckard
    Fully Promoted
    Furniture & Fine Art
    Jet & Ivy
    Jim Kane: Artist
    Life On The River Is Good
    Linda Schrenk Body Artist
    Local Businesses St. Johns
    Michael Cervone: Artist
    Mindy Kerr
    Mindy Kerr Of Nature's Child Photography 2018
    Motherhood: A Balancing Act
    Nease Animal Hospital
    Networking St. Johns
    Pets R Family June 2022
    Pet's R Family - Pets Really Are Part Of The Family!
    Rivertown Fine Wine & Spirits Visits Washington DC
    Rivertown January 2021
    Robert Stebleton
    Shearwater 2020
    Sisterhood
    Smiles By Glenos
    Special Needs St. Johns
    Starlight Gymnastics Helps Build A Star Gymnast!
    St. Augustine Art
    St. Johns Education
    St. Johns Real Estate Team Menton & Ballou
    The Cookie Swap
    Thumbs Up For Chris
    Veterinarian
    Vicky Oakes
    Watkins Allergy & Asthma Clinic
    Winterguard
    WJXT Moms
    Yofrodipity's New Menu!

    RSS Feed

Picture

©2012-2022 All Rights Reserved 
St. Johns Magazine LLC

About 


 
Welcome to St. Johns Magazine, the premier lifestyle media company in St. Johns Florida and the heart of Northeast Florida.

St. Johns Magazine is a fun and friendly resource guide connecting the growing communities of northern St. Johns. We focus on the positive aspects of life with entertaining features and articles promoting local businesses, people, places and events!




Contact 

Contact Us
About Us
Demographics
debbie@stjohnsmag.com

904-687-8538
St. Johns Magazine publishes twelve times a year. stjohnsmag.com launched in 2012. Like our page on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram. The magazine is printed in Jacksonville, Florida, USA and distributed free of charge to SELECT homes in northern St. Johns.


Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • Home & Style blog
    • Beauty, Fashion & Home
    • Real Estate >
      • Real Estate St. Johns BLOG
      • Neighborhoods of Northern St. Johns
      • New Construction
      • Featured Communities >
        • Focus on Trailmark
        • Focus on Shearwater
        • Focus on Nocatee
        • Age Restricted Communities
    • Travel
    • Back to school
    • Books We Love
  • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Wellness >
      • BLOG Health & Wellness Providers BLOG
    • Calendar Blog
    • Trivia Nights
    • Parks in St. Johns
    • Golf Courses
    • Autism Resources >
      • SJM Autism Blog
    • Summer Camp
    • Beaches
    • Farmer's Markets
  • Dining
    • Restaurant Guide
    • My Wandering Fork
    • Local Chefs Series
  • Digital
  • About
    • Schedule a phone call
    • Demographics & Distribution
    • Past Issues
    • Testimonials
    • Graphic Design Services
  • Best of SJ
  • FAQ