May 21, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. -
May 16, 2007
By Chris Drexel, East Valley Tribune
Ashley Kelly thought she was done with gymnastics. But somewhere in between her third-place individual finish on the uneven bars at the 2006 NCAA championships -- her final meet with Arizona State -- and this spring, she changed her mind.
Kelly, 23, believes she still has one more challenge to face in a sport often dominated by teenagers.
After a 20-year gymnastics career that saw her compete at the International Elite level before joining ASU, followed by a four-year career with the Sun Devils that included winning an individual national championship on the balance beam in 2004, Kelly still has one thing missing from her resumé -- a spot on a U.S. Olympic team. For that, Kelly has decided to try out for the 2008 Games in Beijing.
"Not having gymnastics in my life the last year made me realize that if I want to do anything else with the sport, this is my last shot," Kelly said. "After this, I'm way too old.
"They're pretty scarce on girls for this Olympic team, especially for bars and beam -- those are my best two events. So it's kind of like, 'I could have a shot, so why not give it one last all?' "
For those who doubt that a post-collegiate gymnast can compete with the rising youngsters of the sport, Kelly points to former UCLA gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj, who grabbed headlines in 2004 when actress Pamela Anderson decided to sponsor Bhardwaj's quest to make the Olympic team. Bhardwaj was 25 when she competed in Athens.
"She went back and she was better than she was before," Kelly said. "I'm not doing it because she did, but it's nice to know that it is possible."
ASU gymnastics coach John Spini said Kelly, whom he calls the best in the program's history, has a realistic shot of reaching Beijing.
"I've never seen anyone outwork Ashley Kelly," he said. "Once she sets her mind to something she rarely fails. Does she have the heart and ability to make it? I think she does. Does she have enough to get where she needs to be? I don't know."
Kelly, who graduated from ASU on Saturday, moved to Gaithersburg, Md., the following day to begin a year of intense training with renowned gymnastics coach Kelli Hill. Under the guidance of Hill -- who has mentored multiple Olympians, including Dominique Dawes -- Kelly's training will be quite different than what she was accustomed to at ASU.
In college, the NCAA mandates that teams may practice up to four hours a day, with a maximum of 20 hours a week.
In Maryland, Kelly will train Monday through Saturday, with a three-hour session in the morning and a four-hour session at night.
"In club gymnastics, you can train all day, all night, however many hours your coach wants you to be there, and they can make you do anything," Kelly said. "So it's definitely intense."
Kelly said whether she reaches the Olympics largely depends on whether her body can stand up to the training.
But despite training and relocation costs that will likely reach upwards of $55,000, Kelly said she is willing to try.
"I don't like thinking about the end part -- I just like thinking about working hard and that will get me where I want to be," Kelly said.
"But if I do make the Olympics, that would be an awesome way to end it all."