Shelby Edwards:
I’m a University of Arizona gymnast about to enter her fourth and final year as a GymCat and her 17th and final year as a gymnast. I am both terrified and ready.
I’m not terrified of the gymnastics part; I’ve been flipping and flying around since the age of four. My fears extend far past the width of a four inch balance beam. What terrifies me about entering my last season as a competitive gymnast is that in about five months, I will be losing a part of who I am.
“Hi, my name is Shelby and I’m a gymnast.”
This has been my introduction line for as long as I can remember. It’s a personal identifier. It’s my go-to adjective for individual descriptions. In a few short months, I will no longer be “Shelby, the gymnast”, but instead, just Shelby. And “Just Shelby” has always sounded a little empty to me. …
Gymnastics Coaching.com 