Williamson Continues To Impress In Gymnastics

September 12, 2009 by John Rook

It is rare to find someone who is dedicated and passionate about anything these days, let alone at the tender age of 7.
However, that’s exactly how one would describe Cheshire youngster Julia Williamson who, before her 10th birthday, has already established herself as a top notch gymnast with aspiration that reach as high into the sky as one of her hand stands.
“She loves gymnastics so much, it is almost as if she is already determined to be as good as she can be,” said Deena Williamson, Julia’s mother. “She just wants to succeed every time out.”
Over the summer, Williamson competed in the highly competitive Talent Opportunity Program (TOPs), which pits some of the best and brightest young gymnasts from around the area against one another in a series of activities. Williamson was entered into the age 7-11 bracket, competing against children her own age and older in such events as leg lifts, hand lifts, and rope climbs. Despite her youth, Williamson was awarded a spot in the Silver Level, one step away from the Diamond Level, which is the highest any competitor in that age group could hope to attain.
“You have to be above average at all physical abilities in order to reach that level,” said Kristen Haakerud, a coach at the Cheshire-based C.A.T.S. Gymnastics, where Williamson trains throughout the year. “With Julia being only seven, we chose her because she is just so committed.”
That commitment started at a very young age, admitted Deena Williamson, who got her daughter involved in gymnastics approximately three years ago after noticing her daughter’s high level of energy and desire to always be active.
“She has always been the type of kid who is jumping around at the playground and always doing something athletic,” said Deena Williamson. “We thought that gymnastics would be something she would be interested in, so we tried it. We signed her up for just a lesson and she really enjoyed it.”
The little girl’s enthusiasm wasn’t the only thing that caught people’s attention. From the minute she took to the floor to perform, Deena Williamson says that coaches were telling her that her daughter has “a real talent” for the sport.
Haakerud was one of those who noticed the talent in Williamson and also noticed the fun she was having participating in each event.
“She wasn’t just very talented, but she loved it as well,” remembered Haakerud. “That’s important because some of the kids might be good, but they might not really enjoy doing it. Julia loved it. She lived at (C.A.T.S.).”
In fact, Haakerud noticed that Williamson wasn’t content to simply “go slow” in terms of her maturation as a gymnast.
“She was always begging to learn more,” Haakerud explained. “She would look at what the older girls were doing and she would want to learn what they knew.”
Williamson moved up at C.A.T.S quickly, joining its advanced SuperCats group after a short time and then went on to join one of the pre-teams, where students prepared for competitive competitions.
“They thought she was very, very strong, so that’s why they selected her for TOPs,” Deena Williamson stated. “It was something that had a lot of meaning for her.”
Over 1,000 potential gymnasts entered TOPs this summer, with only 300 making it to the national competition.
“It is a pretty hard competition, and it is hard to make the silver level,” insisted Haakerud.
And, while Williamson achieved an honor few her age have been able to accomplish, her demeanor after the competition was what impressed Haakerud the most.
“For a 7-year-old to work that hard, you don’t want them to be let down,” said Haakerud. “It would have been easy for her to feel like, ‘Okay, I did my best,’ but she was already interested in working on the things she needs to work on.”
For Williamson herself, the youngster admitted that she enjoyed competing at TOPs, mainly because she got the chance to perform the types of activities she enjoys the most.
“I got to learn a lot of new stuff and try some new stuff,” she said, with a giggle. “I want to (continue) to do gymnastics for a long time.”
If she stays committed, Hackerud, for one, believes that the sky is the limit for Williamson. The youngster, who Haakerud described as being “more full of life than any little girl I have ever met,” said that Williamson could conceivably compete in the TOPs National A Team and then, at 10-years-old, can compete in the Elite Program.
“Because she is so young and so passionate, it makes for the perfect combination for success,” said Haakerud.
And what about the Williamson family, and what they expect from their talented daughter in the future?
“We are going to support her and her passions 100 percent,” said Deena Williamson. “It is so great for her because she gets such positive reinforcement.”