ROWLEY — For Rowley resident Georgia Dabritz, a 16-year-old internationally ranked gymnast, countless hours spent training at Ace Gymnastics Inc. in Ipswich with her coach of 13 years, Laura Tebo, has elevated Dabritz's skill-level to celestial heights.
After placing sixth on the uneven bars and sixth in the all-around at the Cover Girl Classic in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 25, Dabritz's all-around score of 54 (52.5 qualifier score) qualified her for the 2009 VISA Championships in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 13 to 15.
"I was really excited when I realized that I was going to go, but at first I wasn't sure I was going to be able to compete there," said Dabritz, whose brother, Russell, a former Triton Viking, is a sophomore on the gymnastic team at the University of Minnesota. "But after thinking about it, I knew I could do it — it's what I've been training all year for."
One of 30 elite gymnasts competing within the senior age division, the stage had never been bigger, the lights never so bright, and the bars never set so high for Dabritz.
Despite the intense atmosphere — the country's best gymnasts like Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin and Olympic medalists Samantha Peszek, Bridget Sloan and Chelsie Memmel were strolling about — and some initial butterflies, Dabritz gathered herself to rise into national contention.
When all was said and done, Dabritz received the seventh place medal on the uneven bars and instantaneously propelled herself among the nation's most talented gymnasts.
It's a fitting honor that pays tribute to all the hard work she and her coach have put in. Tebo has to chuckle at the thought of how far her star pupil has come.
"She's come a long way," Tebo said. "From not being a very good level 5 and 6, to now being an internationally ranked athlete, there have been a lot of hours. Obviously, she has a lot of natural ability as well, but you have to put the work in, too."
A normal workout session for Dabritz lasts around three and a half hours, and three days a week, she grinds through double sessions. Tebo explained that Dabritz puts in an average of 25 to 27 hours of training a week — a grueling schedule that can burn out the brightest of stars.
But even at such a young age, Dabritz understands the wear and tear that accompanies her sport and is not one to ignore what her body and mind occasionally demand of her.
"Some days it's more mental because you're just so tired that you can't focus on what you're doing," Dabritz said, "and other days it's physical because your body doesn't have enough energy to keep yourself going.
"After months of training the same routine, you sometimes get tired of coming in every day, twice a day, but you take a day or two off, and you're ready to get right back in."
The VISA Championships began a bit rocky for Dabritz, who admitted her nerves played a factor the first day. Once the second day began, and some welcome advice from Olympic medalists was passed along, things settled down.
"It was a lot easier the second day because I knew what to expect going in and how to handle it better," said Dabritz, a soon-to-be junior who is home-schooled through the Laurel Springs School. "Meeting (Olympians) was definitely a little scary at first, but they were really nice. They talked to everybody and just told us to have fun out there, to relax."
Tebo, a Brentwood, N.H., resident with 17 years of gymnastic training/coaching and a strong background in dancing, explained that the sky is the limit for Dabritz, but only time will tell what happens.
"This year our goal was to qualify to the VISA Championships, which she did, and that's the top meet in the United States," Tebo said. "We don't know where we're going to go from here. We have a couple of years before she goes off to college, so hopefully we can continue to help her grow."
For Dabritz, a return to the VISA Championships is a certain goal.
"I would've liked to have finished a lot higher and had a stronger routine, but it was still good because it was in a major competition," Dabritz said. "It helped my self-esteem a lot because it helped me understand that I can compete with the bigger kids."
Dabritz's experience on the national stage should serve her well when college competition comes calling.
"I'd just like to keep going strong, stay healthy, make it to the VISA Championships next year, and then go to college in a couple years," Dabritz said. "I've been looking at the University of Alabama and the University of Utah — they have really good teams, and they seem like they would be nice fits."
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