JANUARY 2017    FEATURED GYMNAST 

Ms Tiffani Williams

DOB: 8.15.01

AGE 15

GYM: Realis Gymnastics academy

BACKGROUND/ETHNICITY: AFRICAN AMERICAN & indian

LEVEL: junior elite

YEARS PARTICIPATING IN GYMNASTICS: 8 YEARS

OCTOBER|NOVEMBER 2016 FEATURED GYMNAST

Ms Lea Mitchell

DOB: 10.22.98

AGE 17

GYM: american Twisters

BACKGROUND/ETHNICITY: AFRICAN AMERICAN & Caucasian

LEVEL: 10

YEARS PARTICIPATING IN GYMNASTICS: 13 YEARS

TEAM: Michigan State UNIVERSITY (INCOMING FRESHMAN)

May 2016 Featured Gymnast

Ms Alexa Vasquez

DOB 12.28.1999

Age 16

Gym: World Elite Gymnastics Ontario

Background/Ethnicity: Japanese & Puerto rican

Level: 10

Years participating in gymnastics: 10 years

April 2016 Jr Featured Gymnast

Ms Chandler King

DOB 9.14.2007

Age 8

Gym: Euro Stars

Background/Ethnicity: African-American

Level: 7

Years participating in gymnastics: 5 years

March 2016 Featured Gymnast

Ms Toni-Ann Williams

DOB 11.20.1995

Age 20

Background/Ethnicity: Black, Jamaican-American

LEVEL: COLLEGIATE & INTERNATIONAL ELITE

TEAMS: UC BERKELEY & JAMAICA NATIONAL TEAM

March 2016 Jr Featured Gymnast

Ms Taylor Dior

DOB 12.10.2006

Age 9

Gym: Hotshots Gymnastics

Background/Ethnicity: African-American

Level: 7

Years participating in gymnastics: 7 years

February 2016 Featured Gymnast

Ms Kyla Bryant

DOB 9.10.1998

Age 17

Gym: Georgia Elite Gymnastics

Background/Ethnicity: African-American

Level: 10

Years participating in gymnastics: 12 years

January 2016 Featured Gymnast

Ms Margzetta Frazier

Nickname: Marz

DOB 2.25.2000

Age 16

Gym: First State Gymnastics, Delaware

Background/Ethnicity: African-American

Level: International Elite

Years participating in gymnastics: 13 years

We had the pleasure of chatting with Marz a few days ago. She had just left school (around 12PM) and had a few minutes to talk to us before heading to practice. She was a joy to talk to…very personable and engaging. You can hear the passion in her voice while talking about her sport and the Brown Girls Do Movement! We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this young gymnast.

Please read a bit of what we talked about below and be sure to follow her @margzetta and encourage her throughout her career!

BGDG:  What is your biggest accomplishment?

Marz: My biggest accomplishment was getting my International Elite Score for the 1st time..

BGDG: How did you feel?

Marz: I felt very accomplished considering that people have been training for that their whole lives and a couple years ago, I didn’t even know what Elite was…

When I finally got my scores, so many doors opened up!

BGBD: What’s your goal for this year?

Marz:  My goal for this year is to make the USA National Team, compete in some international assignments and Olympic Trials.

BGBD: What’s your goal for gymnastics in general?

Marz: To be able to look back and have no regrets.  My dad would always tell me, “You don’t want to career to be finished… look back and say…I wish I had tried harder”

So my goal is to do my very best and whatever happens…happens for a reason.  As long as I’m happy, I’m okay…

(We at BGDG thought that was an awesome outlook! So many people have a goal of being an Olympian or making it to Worlds, but sometimes the achievement of knowing that you left it all on the floor is the most fulfilling!)

BGDG: How do you feel as a Brown Girl Doing Gymnastics?

Marz: I have definitely noticed the small number of Brown Girls doing gymnastics. I have always been one of a very few… I feel like it’s evolving and we are definitely putting our names out there… amazing gymnasts like Gabby, Simone and Elizabeth Price.  We are definitely rising up!

BGDG: Do you think there is a need for the Brown Girls Do Movement?

Marz: The whole world needs to see it!  You can’t just limit things to how a person looks..  You should base it on their performance! That’s one of the top reasons why I chose UCLA!  It’s so diverse…even people from different countries!!! We come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  Different shades of brown and we are all very beautiful!

Such a lovely young lady and such a bright future ahead of her! We are behind you 100% Marz…keep being GREAT!