Competitive gymnast tumbles into new role

LAKEWOOD RANCH — From the moment she began taking gymnastics, Gabrielle Palmeri dreamed of competing in the state meet.

But every year when the qualifying meet approached, the Lakewood Ranch High School junior was always injured — until the spring of 2009. For the first time in her illustrious gymnastics career, the Level 8 gymnast was finally able to compete.

Needing to score an eight on the vault — her final event of the meet — Palmeri approached the apparatus and gave it her all.

“When I warmed up, I blew it … it was horrible,” Palmeri said. “But then I stuck (my vault), and I remember standing there and waiting so impatiently. It wasn’t until my friend picked me up and started twirling me around that I realized I had made it.”

Palmeri’s vault qualified her for the state meet for the first time. But at the time, Palmeri had no idea that her first state competition would also be the last meet of her budding gymnastics career.

On December 16, 2009, the Long Island native was practicing layouts at Spins Gymnastics Academy when she decided to attempt a full. Palmeri landed awkwardly and heard two pops in her knee.

“I hurt myself on my favorite event — it was horrible,” Palmeri said. “The funny part was I wasn’t crying. I was just really angry.”

Palmeri, who had been injured countless times before, waited several weeks to go to the hospital.

“I was always injured, so I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” Palmeri said. “I didn’t go to the doctor until a few weeks later because I kept putting it off.”

Palmeri was diagnosed with a torn ACL and meniscus and immediately underwent surgery.
“The doctor said it was worse than he thought it was,” Palmeri said.

As a result of her injuries, Palmeri’s gymnastics career came to a halt — just days before the Level 9 season was about to begin.

“At first, I was really mad because the season was about to start up again,” Palmeri said. “Level 9 was a new level for me, so I was extremely upset.”

Shortly after her injury, Palmeri moved to Lakewood Ranch. Here, Palmeri decided to try out for the Mustangs cheerleading squad.

Palmeri cheered from the time she was in the second grade until the eighth grade before concentrating solely on gymnastics. But now that she can no longer do gymnastics, Palmeri has turned her focus back to cheerleading.

“I enjoy competing with my friends rather than by myself,” Palmeri said. “I love the feeling of being out on the floor and the adrenaline rush you get right before you’re about to compete.

“The tumbling brings me back to the old days,” she said. “It’s frustrating though seeing the girls do simple skills, well simple to me, because I wish I could still do that. It’s not so much that I can do it, but the fear of getting hurt again is stopping me from doing it.”

PASSION TO PERFORM
Palmeri began taking gymnastics 11 years ago after her mom, Lisa, who took gymnastics as a child, enrolled her daughter in the sport. Palmeri quickly worked her way up, eventually becoming one of Spins Gymnastics Academy’s most elite gymnasts. Palmeri, who has always loved to dance and perform, excelled on the floor exercise while doing her best to avoid the balance beam.

“Just the fact that you’re five feet off of the ground on a four-inch plank of wood doesn’t settle with me,” Palmeri said.

Now, with her gymnastics career behind her, Palmeri is busy enjoying her new teammates and her newfound freedom.

“Gymnastics was literally my entire life,” Palmeri said. “This is completely different than what I’m used to. I have time now.”

In her first year on the varsity cheerleading squad, Palmeri was able to cheer for football for the first time and is now in the midst of the Mustangs competition season.

Aside from cheering for the Mustangs, Palmeri also takes tumbling classes once a week at Dynasty Elite, where she is also on its All-Star competition squad. Eventually, Palmeri would like to begin coaching gymnastics again.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].