Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
PORT RICHEY - The Dawsons' move to Florida in March 2002 sure cut down on gas mileage.
Tiffany Dawson, now 10, dreamt of being an Olympic gymnast but the closest training facility was in Omaha, Neb., more than an hour's commute from the family's small town of Nodaway in southwest Iowa.
"She would draw pictures of herself on little platforms winning the gold medal," said Michelle Dawson, who drove her daughter to daily practices for six months before moving to Hudson. "I just couldn't take it anymore, so I finally gave in. It was a 90-minute ride."
Dawson trains at Suncoast Gymnastics Academy in Port Richey and ranks among the nation's top 60 gymnasts in her age group.
The 4-foot-4, 60-pound competitor earned that distinction after a second straight year of qualifying for the Talent Opportunity Program (for ages 7-11) run by Karolyi's Gymnastics in Houston. Bela and Martha Karolyi have coached such Olympians as Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton and Kerri Strug.
"This whole TOPs program is centered around young kids," Suncoast coach Arnold Gwinn said. "At 12, it's the elite teams and that's where the U.S. Gymnastics (USAG) team is drawn from. If (Dawson) keeps going at the rate she's going she could be the first gymnast from the Tampa Bay area to make the national team."
"It's a pretty big goal," Dawson acknowledged.
And one she has maintained since early childhood.
"Since she was 5 years old she wanted to go into gymnastics," Michelle Dawson said. "She used to tumble around the house. She would cartwheel everywhere. I have other children in other sports, but nothing like this."
Dawson's sister Heather, 16, and brothers Timothy, 13, and Christian, 7, practice martial arts with varying degrees. And while Tiffany opted for a different sport, she still enjoys playing basketball in the family's driveway and joining carpet picnics (eating junk food while sitting on the floor and watching movies).
Fun and games notwithstanding, the Dawsons can be a serious lot. All of the children are home-schooled and participate in sports requiring self-discipline.
"I would definitely like to stay home-schooled," said Tiffany, who trains about 30 hours a week. "If I went to a regular school I wouldn't get as much training."
"She is mentally focused on trying to be the best in the country," Gwinn said. "Her ability to focus and her discipline is a lot higher than many athletes I've seen at that age."
Having tested for the TOP team in 2003 while training at Top Contenders in Hudson and not making the elite squad, Dawson switched facilities last fall.
"Tiffany wanted to go a little bit further," Michelle Dawson said. "She was devastated (after not making the TOP team) and wanted to go somewhere else for training."
"The first time (at TOP testing) I was really, really bad," Dawson said. "The second time I was a whole lot better. I definitely had a better attitude the second time. The first time I was like, "I'm going to fail.' The second time I was trying to do my best."
Talent, discipline and attitude are reasons why Gwinn believes in his young student.
"She takes things lightly," Gwinn said. "That's why I think she's going to make it. If she has a bad day she can laugh it off."