Bailey Harrison, 8, once dreamed of flying through the air, tumbling on the floor and springing from a vault. She looked forward to the day she would stand on a platform, a gold medal draped around her neck. Unexpectedly, everything the young gymnast hoped for came to fruition during her first competition.
On Aug. 29, Harrison won first place in the vault competition at the Endless Summer Classic at the Summit Gymnastics Academy in Savannah. She also placed third in the uneven bars competition, second in the floor exercise and, to her surprise, finished the event as the overall runnerup in her division with a score of 32.65.
"We’re so proud of her. This was her first competition ever and we were shocked that she did so well," Harrison’s mother Tessa Harrison said.
According to Tessa Harrison, her daughter’s next goal is to make it to the state competition, but to do that the she needs to do well in another meet.
"The fact that she came in first in an event was amazing, but for her to make the state tournament she has to score at least 32 in another competition," she said.
So, it’s back to practice for the young gymnast, who is a level three gymnast. She trains at the Leaps and Bounds Center in Jesup.