Happy to be flexible

Published: January 3, 2009
Kane County Chronicle

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles East senior Liz Fairweather likes to keep things flexible both in and out of gymnastics.

In her fourth year on the St. Charles co-op gymnastics program, she's found a way to enjoy all the challenges that come with competing in the all-around.

"I used to always say floor was my favorite," she said, "Now, I'm even starting to like the beam."

Fairweather also enjoys being able to do other things outside of practicing. After St. Charles went to the state meet last year, Fairweather continued working with the St. Charles club team, but was not too happy about the amount of time she had to spend in the gym.

"Club is more regimented," she said. "It's kind of a time-suck. During the summer, it was five days a week, four hours a day."

Still, she unequivocally calls gymnastics her favorite sport, and has been practicing it seriously since she was about 9 years old. The inspiration, she said, came from her friend and St. Charles East basketball player, Natasha Lalos.

"She would do aerials and flip-flops at recess and I thought she was so cool," Fairweather said.

While she's glad to have been practicing gymnastics as long as she has, watching the Beijing Olympics made her feel thankful that she never wanted to get too serious and make gymnastics the only thing in her life.

"I think that was the draw to join the high school team. I could do other things," she said.

Those other things have been different sports, such as tennis and track, as well as becoming involved in East's spring musical, "Barnum," last spring.

"I've been able to experience high school," she said.

But for all her branching out, Fairweather is back to make her last year on the team a memorable one – especially after last year's trip to the state meet at Palatine, a meet in which simply qualifying was enough to keep the team excited for weeks.

"We get there and we're not even nervous," she said, before adding with a laugh, "until you get to your event."

The memories of last year are a double-edged sword, Fairweather said.

"I was so relieved to make it last year because I didn't make it to this year and go 'Oh no, it's my last year!' ... but now there's this pressure to go back."

So a multi-interested gymnast and her team have been working hard together, setting their sights for another shot at state, while at the same time enjoying the work.

This year, Fairweather says, many of her St. Charles East teammates will meet before school and run laps together. Though gymnastics is by nature an individual sport, Fairweather said that compared to club, the co-op places more emphasis on the team overall. While she and her teammates practice their routines, there's a bigger picture close in mind.

"By focusing on your own work," Fairweather said, "you're contributing to the team."

Before the team can think about improving its performance at state, it has to get through the rest of the season, including a Tri-Cities meet against Batavia and Geneva at Batavia on Monday. And then there's sectionals.

Assistant coach Lindsay Schultz says last year's sectional win and state placement has been the motivating factor.

"I think once you've been there, you're really excited to get back." she said. "We know it's going to be tough ... but I think the girls really want to get back there."

Fairweather said she's trying not to see her senior year as an end-all-be-all moment, but she is not blind to the potential significance of this season.

"I'm probably going to do [gymnastics] in college with a club team or something, so it's not like it's completely over," she said. "But this is my last year with this team. And I really enjoy being on this team."