She takes a deep breath as she draws her foot back, her bare toes brushing the coarse fabric. She takes a small hop then sprints down the long mat. She swings her arms up, gaining momentum, and pushes off the ground, launching herself into the air. She whips her arms down and holds them tightly, close to her body, as she flips through the air.

Freshman Sydney Mazzarella has been doing gymnastics and tumbling for over four years, and has been cheerleading for three. She cheered for the Cedar Park Middle School squad, and now cheers outside of school as an extra-curricular activity.

Mazzarella decided that she wanted to do gymnastics when she saw other people doing it, and it looked like a lot of fun. Currently she tumbles at Acrotex

 “When I do tumbling, I feel like I can do anything, and it’s like I’m floating, and even flying,” Mazzarella said.

Although she would like to continue to do tumbling and gymnastics as a potential career, Mazzarella has her eyes set on another topic- medical school.

“My friend’s sister has cancer, so I wanted to help people who have cancer and other conditions and sicknesses,” Mazzarella said.

She would like to get accepted into a good medical school and earn a degree as a radiologist or surgeon, helping to care for people like her friend’s sister.

            “It would be cool to have a career in tumbling but I want to be a doctor more than a UCA or NCA cheerleader,” Mazzarella said.

She falls toward the mat, and she is breathless as she experiences a zero- gravity moment and then her foot makes contact. She bends her knee, taking in the impact, and her other foot comes down to stick the landing. She pauses for a moment with her knees bent, then straightens and beams, knowing she’s finally landed it.