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LOGAN MABEAfter winning a state gymnastics title, Teresina Lemons, 7, prepares for a national competition.
LUTZ - Teresina Lemons wasn't even as tall as the trophies she's won as she worked the front entrance of the Publix on Lutz Lake Fern Road. On a recent Saturday morning, she and her mom and another gymnast were collecting donations for a trip to the AAU National Championships to be held in Iowa in June.
Teresina, a 7-year-old second grader at Maniscalco Elementary, has been participating in gymnastics for less than two years but she's already a state champion at her level.
She won the all-around gold medal in the Level 2 Elite division of her age group at the AAU Florida State Championships on April 27 at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.
Her scores were Olympian; a 9.475 on the bars, 9.6 on the vault, 9.475 in floor exercise and 9.55 on the balance beam. They earned Teresina two individual golds and two silvers, and enough points for the overall crown.
Teresina's next stop will be the AAU National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa June 25-29. Her ultimate goal, when she's a little older and a tad taller, is to compete in the Olympic Games.
Jill Lemons, Teresina's mother, said she enrolled Teresina in recreational gymnastics to help her burn off a extra energy. "I was just trying to find a way for her to get rid of some adrenaline," Lemons said.
Then Teresina started training with the competitive team at Top Contenders Gymnastics Academy in Hudson, where the Lemons live.
"She couldn't even do a forward roll at first," Lemons said. "Since then, she's advanced far beyond what I ever expected. I honestly wasn't expecting to be dealing with such intensity for a couple of years. But she's just taken off."
Lemons said Teresina trains about 20 hours a week, and attends competitions almost every other weekend. "Her self-esteem has improved just tremendously," said Lemons, property manager for the Hillsborough County School District. "And her focus in gymnastics has really helped her focus in school."
- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at 269-5304 or at mabe@sptimes.com