Junior Madison Sislo started to dance at the age of three but soon found it hard to keep competing on top of being a full-time softball player. Gymnastics is a difficult sport to pick up on, but Sislo turned to the sport for its similarity to dance and an opportunity to try something new.

This is Sislo’s first year doing gymnastics. She does floor and vault which is difficult on your body. She gets shin splints, a sore back, and knee and hip pains.

The floor is similar to dance for it is a competitive performance of different sequences of movements. The difference between them is that fact that floor holds multiple tumbling passes while dance does not. Sislo danced for 14 years so flow is something that comes easily to her.  

“With a dance background it makes the floor so much more exciting to be able to show off the skills I’ve learned from dance,” Sislo said.

When Sislo first stepped onto the floor, she was nervous because she jumped into something that she has never done before. Sislo was also confident because she has performed in front of people before.

“I really like gymnastics, I’ve wanted to be a gymnast since I was little,” Sislo said.

The Spartans next gymnastics meet is January 5.