Isabela Hwang, a freshman here at ACP Erie, was crowned the Arizona State Champion in Vault, and her team won the Arizona State Championship. She is also 3rd in the state and 12th in the country on the beam. Her athletic achievements caught the eye of so many, and I was able to get to know her training schedule and even what she likes to do for fun. Here are some of the questions I was able to ask Isabela.

Q: Who is your favorite sports hero?

A: Mykayla Skinner.

Q: What is the best part about competing?

A: The best part about competition is presenting the skills to everyone that we work hard on every day in practice. And, of course, feeling the pleasure of receiving rewards and knowing that all the hard work we put in was worth it.

Q: How do your teammates make practice fun?

A: I always look forward to going to the gym because all my friends are there. They are what makes this sport more enjoyable because we laugh and cry together every day. We always support each other. We are like a family I would say. Gymnastics would not be fun without them.

Q: What is your favorite sports quote?

A: At our gym, the coaches use a lot of quotes, but my coach loves the quote “fake it ’til you make it” and also “we over me” because we are a team.

Q: What is your favorite part about gymnastics?

A: My favorite part about gymnastics is learning new skills and interacting with all my friends and coaches.

Q: What is your typical training/practice schedule like?

A: My schedule for gym is: Sunday from 4-5 P.M., Monday from 2:30-6:30 P.M. Tuesday from 2:30-6:30 P.M. Wednesday practices would usually be from 3:30-7:00 P.M., Thursday from 2:30-6:30 P.M., Friday from 2:30-5:30 P.M., and Saturday from 9am-12 P.M.

Q: Why did you decide to play?

A: My parents put me in this sport when I was little, and I didn’t get a say. They just wanted me to try it out and see if I liked it. When I was six, I quit gymnastics for two years. I tried a bunch of different sports, such as lacrosse, swimming, volleyball, etc.., but I eventually made my way back to gym. I am always so excited to go to gym and always look forward to it. I decided to continue on with gymnastics because I just love the energy there. I love the thrill of learning the next big skill. I love getting over the fear of trying something new and scary.

Q: What is your favorite memory?

A: All of the memories of me getting a new skill are my favorite, but the best is when I first learning my kip on bars. That is the most important and basic bar skill because you need it to do everything on bars. When I got it, I was so happy.

Q: Are you looking to play at college or in the future?

A: I have not made the final decision on that. I still have a few more years to think, but I do think that I might want to.

Q: What are your main motivations?

A: My coaches and teammates are definitely my main motivators because they always push me to do something new. Sometimes, you think that a skill is just impossible for you to do or you are really scared to try, but my coaches help me and know that I can do it. They would not be telling me to do something if they thought I could not do it. My teammates always cheer me on to help me, especially when I’m struggling.

Q: Which strengths do you believe you have that make you a great gymnast?

A: I usually can learn and get a new skill faster than others, and that is because my coaches say that I have good coordination and air sense. When you’re doing all these crazy flips in the air, sometimes your body can get lost and you don’t know what you’re doing or where you are. You can get dizzy and fall on your face. But that has never happened to me due to the fact that I always know where I am and what my body is doing.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of sports?

A: I don’t really do much since I am always so busy and don’t have time to do anything. But when I can, I like to draw a lot and do other art stuff.

Thank you, Isabela, for sharing your impressive athletic journey, and good luck on your future endeavors! We are very excited to see what your future has in store for you. Go Knights!