Savannah Hellenga, a 2nd-grade Homeschool student from Indio, is an outstanding young gymnast. She recently completed the 2018 Bratayley Disneyland Invitational at the Disneyland Hotel, winning medals in every event.
Her awards included 2nd in vault and 5th place overall. Olympic medalists and gymnasts Jake Dalton and Alex Naddour were on hand to present the medals.
Savannah first developed an interest in gymnastics at age five. She recalled, “I would watch the other girls do flips, and I wanted to do flips, too. I worked hard and got invited onto team when I was six.”
Today, she trains four hours a day several days a week. She does self-conditioning on the days she’s not at the gym. She said, “I enjoy flipping! I like the feeling of doing back and front tucks off the beam and sticking them. I like how physically and mentally strong it makes me. I like that this sport demands focus and perfection, and the satisfaction when my hard work pays off.”
Savannah has been attending Springs since kindergarten. The family chose the program for the flexibility in curriculum and its opportunities for extracurricular activities, such as gymnastics. She said, “It’s worked out really well because my mom and dad are awesome teachers. It also allows me time to do gymnastics without being tired.”
She also likes spending time with family and friends, singing good songs, running, hiking, ice skating and dancing. She added, “And, one day I would love to have a kitten to cuddle with.” She noted that she has a twin sister, Eva, “who is a beautiful artist and a good swimmer.”
Her future career aspirations include being a gymnastics coach “or maybe a spy.”
