Hi! My name is Austyn Fobes, I am 11 years old, and I am a Child National Elite Gymnast! I train at Rebound National Training Center in Cliffwood, NJ. I am coached by Diane Farrell and the staff at Rebound. My mom (Jennifer Fobes) has also been my coach since I started Gymnastics. I live in Howell, NJ. I live with my Mom and Dad, my brother Cody (age 13) and sister Bayleigh (age 7). This is what it is like to be me!

I get up every day at 6:30 am, when the entire family all gets up. Mom gets us breakfast and puts our lunches together. She also makes sure Cody makes it to the School Bus on time. Bayleigh and I get ready for Gym. My mom drives us to Rebound; it's an hour away. We begin our workout at 8:00 am and go until 10:30 am. During this time, we do conditioning and basics. At 10:30 am we stop for school. I am home schooled at the gym. We do our school work from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Then, at 1:30 pm we go back to workout in the gym. This is when we work on our optional training. We workout to 6:00 pm. Most of the girls in my group go home then, but I don't. My mom is also a coach, she is still coaching, so we stay at the gym to 8:30 pm. From 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, I usually do my homework. Sometimes, once my homework is done, I go back in the gym and work on different things. We get home around 9:30 pm and eat dinner. I talk to my Dad and tell him about my day, then go to bed. Saturdays are pretty much the same, but we get done earlier and come home at 6:30 pm instead of 8:30 pm. Sundays we're off, if we aren't competing. We do get to work with the National Staff quite often. Mariell Grossfield, Atur Akopian and Geza Pozar work with us. I really enjoy their visits, but I sure get sore! They are great coaches and fun to work with.

During the Elite seasons, we go to a lot of meets. We usually leave on Wednesday or Thursday and get home on Sunday or Monday. I love to compete, the feelings you go through before, during and after a competition is hard to describe. When you hit a routine, it's so great! It is fun traveling and staying in hotels, but it is always nice to get home.

IG3: Where all have you traveled for Competitions?
Austyn Fobes: I have had great opportunities as an Elite the last year and a half. I have competed at the Hills Classic in Maryland; the Capitol Cup in Maryland; the 2002 US Classic/Challenge in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Parkettes Invitational in Allentown, PA; the National Podium Meet in Fairfax, Virginia; Gliders Invitational in Pomona, California; New Jersey Team Championships in Middletown, NJ; 2003 US Classic/Challenge in Burlington, Massachusetts; and the Friendship Classic in Pottsville, PA. I also am a member of the TOPs National Team and have been to Indianapolis, Indiana, and Karolys National Training Center in Houston, Texas, the past two years. I have had wonderful experiences competing with and against some of the top gymnast in the United States and the world!

IG3: Do you get special attention from your friends at school because of your gymnastics?
AF: Well... no, and here is why! I am home schooled at the gym. Our Elite program consists of six girls, they are my friends and we are all home schooled: Beate Jones, Stephanie Seich, Kayla Hoffman, Emma Hoffman, Davi Wilson and me. They are all very talented and I am lucky to have them! My little sister Bayleigh, a level 4 is also home schooled with us.

IG3: Are your teachers understanding when you have to miss school for a meet?
AF: Yes, because my teacher is also a coach! Dawn Campbell, a standout gymnast from Rutgers, helps us all with our schoolwork and coaches as well.

IG3: What are your favorite.. Skills? Event? Meet? Foods?
I have several favorite skills, they are arabian double fronts, double layouts off bars and double pikes off beam.

I like all the events, but if I had to pick one, my favorite would be floor ex. I love to tumble! I have a new routine ready for the upcoming season. It has 4 passes: Arabian Double Front, Two and a Half Twist, Front Full to Front Layout, and a Double Pike. It's pretty cool!

My most memorable meet would be the Podium Meet this year. The opportunity to compete was awesome! I think the Podium meet was what I imagine the Olympics would be like. I hope to be able to represent our country some day at the Podium Meet as well as other International Competitions.

One of the most exciting meets this season was the 2003 Parkettes Invitational. I had always competed this weekend in the lower levels, then went to watch the Elite Session. This year was my first opportunity to compete in the Elite Session! I think I was the youngest and smallest Elite gymnast there! I was a little nervous, but it was a lot of fun. I competed all three days, because it was an elite qualifying weekend also. I didn't have my best meet, but I hit my floor routine and medaled. Receiving a medal at a meet that I've watched since I was 6 years old was great! My dad was so proud of me! He doesn't get to see me compete that often because we travel a lot for gymnastics. (My dad takes my brother to his wrestling matches and my mom takes my sister and me to gymnastic meets. All three of us compete and train year round.)

My favorite food is probably something I'm not allowed: pumpkin pie and ice cream! I have to be very careful of what I eat and always eat healthy. I have several nasty food allergies. If I'm not careful, I can get sick! I am allergic to red dye #7, and citric acid. If you are familiar with those two additives... you know they are in everything.

IG3: What is your greatest achievement from gymnastics?
AF: Things have been happening quickly with gymnastics and I have been fortunate and had a lot of opportunities. I think my biggest achievement so far is becoming a Child National Elite and placing 3rd All Around at the Challenge this year.

IG3: What are your goals for gymnastics?
AF: My dad always asks me, where do I want to go with Gymnastics, what do I want to do with it. My answer is, I want to see how far I can get! People that aren't very familiar with gymnastics always want to know if I'm going to the Olympics... but I don't know. It's so far away and there are so, so many good kids and so few spots! I tell them that there are many other opportunities. First, I want to become an International Elite and I think I can! I would like to get good enough to get an international assignment, that is my current goal. And I think we all want to be Olympians, that is my long-range goal.

IG3: Do you take any good luck charms to meets?
AF: Not really, I do have a couple of stuffed animals, a Monkey and the Parkettes Teddy Bear I keep in my bag, but not for good luck. I just like them!

IG3: What do you do before meets to keep from getting nervous?
AF: I just concentrate on warm ups and listen to my coaches corrections. My mom is usually on the floor and she helps a lot. My dad usually makes sure I remember his 3 rules of gymnastics: 1. Have fun, 2. You belong (being an Elite), 3. Concentrate, Concentrate, Concentrate.

IG3: What have you learned from gymnastics?
AF: I have learned that if you want something bad enough and your willing to work for it, you can get it!

IG3: During your time away from the gym and school, what do you like to do?
AF: My family is very much a sports family! I like to go to the Car Races at New Egypt Speedway, the Trenton Titan games (minor league hockey), and the Blue Claws (minor league Baseball) games. I like to go to Six Flags Great Adventure. I like going camping and fishing and I really like going to the mall!

IG3: What was the Friendship Classic like, competing against some of the top international gymnasts?
AF: I really looked forward to going to the Friendship Classic. It was my first chance to compete against international girls. It was absolutely awesome!! I guess I didn't realize that the other girls and I would be representing the United States. It really felt good! The fans where really cool and made you feel great. I hope I get to go again!

IG3: Who are your role models for gymnastics (and why)?
AF: I admire many people, but I have role models.

I met Carly Patterson at the US Championships last year and she was so nice! She's a great gymnast and very consistent. I want to do beam like her! She is my role model.

My other role model is my mom. She was a level 10 gymnast, before they had Elites. She competed at Slippery Rock University. She is a great coach and she's always there for me. She keeps things together at home and at the gym. My mom is going to have a baby soon but that hasn't slowed her down one bit! Now there will be four of us kids, and I know she will just keep on going. I hope I will be just like my mom!

IG3: Do you like having a pretty big group of elites at Rebound? What make you switch to that gym?
AF: Our group size at Rebound is not real big, only 6 girls. We are all friends and I am lucky to train with such a talented bunch. We all push each other and encourage each other. I like it a lot!

I switched to Rebound for the Elite program. My mom asked me if I wanted to give it a try and I did. My mom and Diane Farrell were friends. Diane was training her daughter Tiffany Van Dusen (who competes for Arizonia State) and was committed to the Elite Program. I have been there ever since and I love it!

Austyn's Results
2003 Friendship Classic - 13th AA, 8th V
2003 US Challenge - 3rd AA
2003 National Podium Meet - 40th AA
2003 Parkettes Invitational - 35th AA, 7th FX
2002 Parkettes Invitational - 8th AA (Level 8)

Austyn's Skills
Vault - piked Yurchenko
Bars - toe-shoot; Pak salto; double layout dismount
Beam - press mount; back handspring, back tuck; switch leap, back tuck; punch front; ring leap; wolf jump full; double back dismount
Floor - double pike; front handspring, layout, punch front; front handspring, layout, punch layout full; 2 1/2 twist