In The ZONA - Scottsdale Jan. 2014 | Page 5

Makayla Dehnert Kindergartener at Freedom Academy Tell us about your accomplishments as a gymnast. I have won lots of medals, ribbons and trophys. What is your favorite subject in school? Reading and P.E. What kind of trophies/awards have you won for gymnastics? I have gotten first place two times in the vault, second place on the floor two times. Why is your school so cool? They have lots of nice teachers and my teacher, Ms. Gleason, is really nice and cool and I like the hot lunches!! Z How long have you been in gymnastics? Since I was 3 ½ years old. What is your favorite event? Floor routine is my favorite. What event is the hardest for you? The beam. Do you want to be in the Olympics one day? YES!!!!! If you were in the Olympics what event would you want to win a gold medal for? The beam. What do you want to be when you grow up? A scientist. inthezona.com “Makayla’s natural talents and passion for the sport make the physical part easy to coach. As a father myself with two grown children, we look at the big picture for Makayla. It is more important to me that she is psychologically, emotionally balanced as we prepare her for competition, and that’s where we spend the most time with her—remembering that she’s just five, and we need to make it fun, as we do with all our competitive athletes.” –Coach Rob Toy, Biltmore Gymnastics January 2014 / 5