A flipping great gal!
Maddie Karr is a national gymnastics champion who currently competes for the University of Denver! She has won multiple championships, including the NCAA All-American (15 times!), the Nastia Liukin Cup, Academic All-American, Female Freshman of the Year, and 2 time Athlete of the Year at Denver University! She also has won Vault, Bars, Beam and All-Around at the Junior Olympic National Championships.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve loved competition and doing flips. I started gymnastics at age three because my mom needed to get me out of the house. I began competing at age 7, however, I wasn’t very good. I loved playing with new skills but hated working on them. I slowly learned that attention to detail is the difference between good and great.
In seventh grade, I made a goal. Every day in my gym, I saw a list on the wall of every girl that had ever won a national title in the Junior Olympics. This is my first piece of advice. You must find what motivates you, something to visualize during the hard times. I stared at that wall for six years. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school when that dream finally came true. I became a national champion!
My second piece of advice involves the journey. Sacrifice is a big ingredient on the road to success. Time and food were things that I had to manage especially through high school. Eating a healthy diet is important for everyone, but especially high level athletes. Make sure you are drinking lots of water and having good lean sources of protein! One meal I make often is grilled salmon kabobs with vegetables! My new favorite is zucchini noodles with pasta sauce and ground turkey! I also love to snack on veggies and guac.
I typically train for 5 hours at the gym each day, starting at 8 AM. I pack a snack with some vegetables and protein to get me through the workout. I often save my fruit/carbs for after the workout to help with recovery. Later in the day, I do strength and conditioning, such as squatting and dumbbells or balancing on a Bosu ball for stability. It is important to maintain good balance and joint movement to lower the risk of injury.
‘Love what you do and do what you love. Passion is the key that opens the door to joy and abundance.’
XOXO Maddie!”
