The Perfect 10

• Samantha Tuckey, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2017

In the year 2006 a young gymnast was born. Her parents decided to name her Gini McPherson. She grew up to have dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and is rather scrawny.
Gini is now 11 years old and has been competing in gymnastics since she was only 2 years old. Gini is a level 10 gymnast! Gini has 2 favourite leotards one long sleeved that has rainbow, a unicorn, a lollipop and is purple (which is her favourite colour). Her short-sleeved leotard has 2 blue stripes and is also purple.
One day she went to a meet way up in Newcastle (which is far from where she lives). When she got to the meet she had total confidence that she would place just like every other gymnastics meet she has ever done. First up was vault. She ran up did a roundoff back handspring onto the vault and then flew off landing in a full twist. She scored a 9.5!
After that was bars, she loved bars (even though she was best at floor). Her giants were amazing, her kips were better than ever, and her cast handstand was beautiful, then she flew off the high bar twisting until she landed on the mat. She got a 9.9! Next was beam (which was her worst event. She did a roundoff back handspring and then went for the full twist off the beam but hit her knee. Before she could finish twisting she fell on her back right on top of the stale mat. She tried to get up but couldn’t from hitting her knee when twisting off. She eventually gained the strength to rise and competed on floor. She scored 9.25! she received 3rd place all round (which surprised her considering she was only awarded a 7.5 for beam). Her all around score was a 36.15!
After the meet her parents took her to the hospital to get her knee and back checked on. On her back there was only a bruise but coming out of her knee was… her bone!!! (She was surprised she didn’t notice that earlier).
Will I ever heal…? That was the only thought running through her brain at this time.
After 6 months her knee was healed, and she went to state! She gained 1st place with a 40.00 all round! Surprisingly, on beam it was the most perfect 10 she had ever received! It was her first meet she had scored a 10 for everything and she had never been happier, and her life was perfect until…
The End.