Hannah: The Cartwheel Queen

Today, Hannah was supposed to perform in the Tyrone St. Patrick's/Easter Day Celebration with her gymnastics team. However, things were canceled due to a tornado watch. That was a bit disappointing. But, the girls still were able to participate in Taylormade's annual Cartwheel-a-thon. The premise is a fundraiser where the girls get pledges and see how many cartwheels they can do in a 15 minute period of time. Hannah didn't get any pledges, but me, for this event. So, at first she wasn't going to do it. The first girl went and did 347 cartwheels. The second girl went and did 387 cartwheels. Well, half way through the second girls 15 minute block, Hannah decided she was going to do it just to see what she could do. I told her that I would pledge 10¢/cartwheel.

So, she started after she was told that she needed to get 388 to beat the record. After her 15 minutes were up, Hannah had completed 440 cartwheels! I was astounded and happily wrote my check for $45. All of the other girls that did this were doing multiple cartwheels in a row and then turning around and going back. They were so dizzy and off balance by the end of the 15 minutes, they couldn't even sit up straight let alone stand and walk. Since Hannah can do a cartwheel with either leg, she took a different approach and I guess it paid off. She also has the equilibrium of a jet fighter pilot. She finished her cartwheels, walked right over to me, sat down on the mat, and said, "I'm tired and sweaty." I asked her if she was dizzy to which she replied, "No, I don't think so--just tired." Stacy, her coach, looked at her dumbfoundedly and said that Hannah was truly a freak of nature (in a loving, nice, amazed way). We all laughed. She is this year's Cartwheel Champion.

I took a short video with my phone...check it out: