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January 30th, 2005

      Hi Everyone! HAPPY 2005, It's time for my journal once again. Wait... didn't I just do one only about four months ago? Okay where do I start? Well as most of you probably know 2004 was definitely not a very good year for me. Here are just a few things that happened…

      In January I did the USA/Japan dual meet at the National Team training center. Training for the meet went really well and I had a great warm up before the meet, but totally bombed the meet! I fell on EVERY event. Somehow after that I don't think I was on USAG's "OOOH! We Love that girl!" list for a looooong time.

      In March I went to American Classic, but I was very sick. We had just done another National Team camp two weeks before and on the plane back I caught a virus or something. I was so sick I could only train for a total of 12hrs in the two weeks before the meet. My Mom took me off of antibiotics two days before the meet, so we all figured that if I even made it into the top 10 I'd be lucky. Luckily I did pretty good and got 5th AA and qualified to Nat'ls. Marta came up to Don and said she was very happy with my progress, so that made me feel very good. By then I think I made it on to USAG's, "Hmmm!? Maybe we'll say hi to that girl if we see her in the hallway" list.

      Around mid year we lost our coaches Monique and Eric when they went back to France. I was very sad because, even though she was a very tough coach, I really loved Monique. At the end of May, London and I went to US Classic in Rochester. I was already qualified to Nat'ls so for me this was just a chance to go for it and to clean up a few things. London did one event (bars) so that Don could petition her since her injury wasn't fully healed. Once again I got 5th AA, but My FX scores in this meet and in the team cup went up a little, so that made me happy. The meet was shown on CN8 on the East coast and I think that's the first time I have been shown on TV competing!

      In June, Don and I went to Nationals and I broke my hand on the first event...BARS!! I was so upset because I knew I would be off of the team. It took about three months to heal but during that time I did tons of other stuff. I actually learned lots of new stuff during this time and went to camp in October to show the National staff some of this really cool stuff. I wanted to get an International assignment so bad, because then I'd get added back on to the team. Then disaster struck! I peeled off bars the first day and tore my ACL.

      When I found out I had to get surgery I was really upset (terrified actually), I was thinking of quitting gymnastics! I thought that if I quit, I wouldn’t have to have surgery, but the doctor said that either way I would need to have surgery. So I decided if I have to get it fixed I'll stick with gymnastics. I got all this mail from coaches, gymnasts, and friends saying that the surgery really isn’t that bad and that made feel so much better! I was still scared a little though. I had a torn Meniscus as well, but the Doctor thinks it was an old injury that I didn't notice. He couldn't fix all of it, but he said it should be fine.

      In November after surgery, my mom, me, and her cousin Marie went up to the mountains in Big Bear and stayed in a friend's cabin for a couple of days. Right after surgery it was very painful, but we had a lot of fun up there. I really wanted to take off the bandages and see what my knee looked like underneath. So when my mom and Marie left the cabin to go in town, I decided I would take the bandage off (Shhhh!) and have a look. It was very gross!!

      In December it was off to Disneyland with my Uncle, and my friends Brittany (my webmaster), and Jessica Laughton. This was really cool as we got to jump all the lines because I was in a wheelchair :) It was only $8 extra for the wheelchair....good deal huh? I think I'll keep that leg brace lol! We got Park Hopper passes for only $49 because Britt has a season pass. Christmas at D-land is sooo good. They change the Haunted Mansion to the Nightmare before Christmas and they dress up it's a Small World with Christmas stuff as well. It is my favorite time of year to visit the park. At ( DCA) Disney's California Adventure we went on tons of stuff and I have a new favorite ride. "Soarin' over California". I have never been on this ride before and didn't know it was so good. It really feels like you are flying in chairs over California! When you fly through the Orange Groves they spray orange scent. It's really clever. I can't wait to go back.

      My sister Jade was very very sick late last year. She caught viral meningitis and everyone was so worried about her. Jade Coaches at my old gym TLC and had to leave many times because she was so sick. She actually went into hospital three different times, and one time they gave her a SPINAL TAP!!!!!!! AHHHH! She is better now though. Oh wait. Around Christmas someone ran a red light that was out, and wrecked Jade's truck. She had to have six stitches in her eyelid (ouch) by a plastic surgeon and is still having treatment on it. For Christmas I got an i-POD, a Tinkerbell of the Yeng Yang, a lot of Horror movies, clothes and a ton of other stuff I can't remember! Goodbye 2004 we won't miss you! More stuff happened before all this, but way too much to write.

      For 2005 my family and I decided to start fresh, and my Mom, her Cousin Marie and I went on a four day cruise To Catalina and Mexico. It was so much fun. We took a lot of pictures, so I will have Brittany put them on the site. You know most people (normal people haha!) buy postcards and key-rings, T-shirts etc on Holiday... but not my Mom. This is going to sound crazy, but when we went to Ensenada my mom bought a....BATHROOM SINK!!! (It’s a good thing she didn’t see a bath tub she liked…) We had to carry it all over the place, it was really funny. We want to go again and hopefully my Dad can go next time.

      My knee is feeling a lot better, and it has been 11 weeks (today) since I had my surgery, so I should be going back to full training hours, I just cant do any pounding on it yet. Although, to be honest, I am doing some of that stuff already (shhhh! secret!). I am going to the Doctor Jackson soon to see what he thinks I can do, and what I cannot do. When we find out I will hopefully give you guys good news. My goals this year include doing bars at the US Classic in late July, and then to be petitioned to Nationals. At Nationals I will try to do all four events, and then if I get to go to camp, I'll try to get a spot on the World's Team! Just some small goals ?

      I am so happy! My mom finally let me get swoop bangs! I have wanted them forever, and last year I did it myself and it looked really bad. I had to grow them out, and my sister’s boyfriend did it properly for me. I really like them a lot, and I also got some more highlights in my hair. I still don't look like a Golden Retriever though. Darn I wanted to look like a smart blond!

      In Febuary SCATS hosts their "Surf City Classic" at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Some of the girls from the Australian National team are coming, so that will be really great. Some of the friends I made from Heathrow Gymnastics Club in England (They trained at SCATS in October) were kind enough to send me some bike shorts and Leo's with Union Jacks on them. They are really beautiful. Also Don has asked me to help coach some of the younger fast track girls, and I have been teaching them dance and ballet and other skills, so it is hard work, but lots of fun. Many of my friends who use to train at SCATS with me had switched gyms, but now a lot are back so it’s been really fun. I am working on a new beam routine with Feng Yu, our new beam coach. She will come up with a routine that doesn't risk re-injuring my leg. Of course I also have some really neat new skills on bars!

      I also want to say congratulations to my friends Annie and Makayla from Byer’s who competed in the Golden State Classic yesterday. Annie finished 1st AA and Mack finished in 2nd place right behind her. Congrats guys!

      Britt is making a list of all of the people that really supported me during my recovery and we'll put it up very soon. Okay that's all for now. As soon as I get more news from Dr Jackson about my knee, you'll read it here. Okay another journal completed. It took a long time to do this one, so maybe I should wish everyone a happy 2006 New year now. Just Kidding!

-Shavahn

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