Chalk fills the air as people flip off beams, bars, vaults and on the floor. Each person spends hours and hours of intense training in order to become the best gymnast they can be. One of these people is Angel Jackson (11).

Jackson has been a gymnast since she was eleven-years-old, right before entering the sixth grade. Growing up, she watched gymnastics on TV and was “flipping” with her dad.

“Since I was four, I wanted to do gymnastics,” Jackson said. “I guess I saw it [on TV].”

It took her six years to reach level eight, working hard everyday. Jackson spends 30 hours a week in the gym during school and up to 50 during the summer. Not only does she practice her own sport, but Jackson coaches younger girls as well, adding to her time in the gym. 

“She’s in the gym a lot,” Coach Britney Owens said. “During the summer, she practices in the morning and coaches in the afternoon.”

Owens, her coach since she was twelve years old, owns the only black-owned gymnastics gym in the state of Tennessee. Owens also grew up a gymnast and eventually played the sport at LSU. The growth of the sport has enabled more representation and opportunities for people like Angel to excel in a sport once only considered for a single group. 

“I said I would own my own gym in the first grade,” Owen said. “I am proud to know I am doing something no one else has done.

All this time in the gym can cause overlap with school work. Usually, high level gymnasts are homeschooled in order to spend more daytime practicing, but Jackson attends public at White Station. This led her to develop time management and communication skills so that she could get everything she needed accomplished. She often has to explain her situation with teachers and coaches. 

“[Teachers] work with me,” Jackson said. “Sometimes, since I don’t play for the school, teachers don’t see me as a student athlete.”

Not only does she have to manage time between school work and her sport, Jackson also helps her family in taking care of her younger brothers. Though she has a lot on her plate, she continues to be a reliable and kind person. 

“She’s a very sweet person and the kids love her,” Owens said. “I let everyone meet her first because I know she’s going to be inviting.”