Submitted by Alley Oop Gymnastics
Running full speed, Emily Lackey jumps on the spring board, hits the vault table to propel herself higher in the air in order to execute a Tsukahara vault in a clean pike shape. She is rewarded with the high score of 9.55, which makes her the new Washington State Level 8 Vault Champion! The smile on her face is enormous, she knows that all of her hard work and dedication have paid off. Her coach can’t be more proud of her.
Emily demonstrates all of the qualities needed in a top-level athlete: she pays attention to detail, is self-disciplined, strives for perfection, and of course has an unwavering work ethic. She is only 12 years old, but she works out at Alley Oop Gymnastics Center 14 hours per week. Her passion for gymnastics is demonstrated every day in practice as she completes multiple routines on each of the 4 competitive events.
All of the little girls at AOGC look up to Emily; they want to grow up to be just like her. Parents couldn’t ask for a better role model – Emily is polite, kind to others, an excellent student, and an avid reader. Each summer, Emily goes to the gym an extra day in order to help out her younger teammates.
When she’s not at Alley Oop, you can find her cheering on her twin brother, Riley, who does Taekwondo. She likes to help her mother cook delicious meals for the family and hang out with her friends like any normal twelve year old. Of course, Emily loves to try new things – she recently picked up the art of skateboarding.
It is her love for adventure that took Emily and her teammate Keira Lathrop to Montana last year to compete in our Region’s Championships. Last year she took the Bronze Medal on vault; this year she was awarded the Silver.
The Tacoma Convention Center hosted the competition this year, where teams from Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and even Hawaii competed with Washington’s top gymnasts. Emily was rock solid during the competition, getting the high score of 9.5 on the uneven bars and vault. Rock-solid on the balance beam, she stuck her dismount. Her floor routine music deems her ‘Unstoppable.’ There are big things in store for this tiny gymnast.
