Gymnasts making grand plans

Natalie Venegas

While some boys residing in Southern California begin learning how to

surf or play beach volleyball, Adam Young, Kevin Wolting and Donothan

Bailey have their attention drawn to the parallel bars and pommel

horse instead.

With six years of gymnastic experience under his belt, 9-year-old

Young competed in the regional gymnastics competition on April 11.

“My favorite part is when I compete,” Young said. “There is a lot

of pressure and I like that.”

At the competition, Young placed 14th overall out of 50 boys. He

finished fourth in the floor exercise and sixth on the vault, while

the Southern California team finished second behind the Northern

California region.

Like many aspiring athletes, Young hopes to someday compete in the

Olympics. But unlike many his age, he is already hard at work

planning his future.

According to his mother, Young has already been researching which

college will most benefit his gymnastic career.

“He is convinced without the shadow of a doubt he is going to a

gymnastic school.”

Young is a fourth grader at Eastbluff Elementary School in Newport

Beach, and although he practices four days a week, he still manages

to be a kid.

“He is a typical boy,” his mother Lauren said. “He likes to

skateboard, snowboard and play Xbox. But, at the same time, he takes

gymnastics very seriously. It takes a lot of devotion but he can

focus.”

Young is not the only one.

Donothan Bailey and Kevin Wolting are two Costa Mesa boys with

just as much drive.

Bailey, a 14 year-old student at Ensign Intermediate and Wolting,

10, who attends Kaiser Elementary, competed in the Palm Tree Classic

in February along with the state championships in March.

At the Palm Tree Classic, both boys won the all-around title at

their level.

Bailey, who competes at a level seven, won the pommel horse, rings

and vault, while Wolting, who is a level nine, won the floor

exercise, parallel bars and high bar.

At the state championships, Wolting was second in the floor

exercise and Bailey was first on the floor, pommel and overall and

was second on the rings.

Both Bailey and Wolting train six days a week at New Hope

Gymnastics Academy in Fountain Valley. The program is led by Olympic

gold medalists Edward Azarian and Alexander Tkatchev.

“It is a lot of hard work,” said Ellen Cole, Bailey’s mother. “He

spends most of his time at the gym because his hopes are to get a

scholarship to Stanford and go to the Olympics.”

According to Kevin’s mother, Michelle Wolting, it is a battle in

itself trying to get him to take a break from the gym.

“It’s phenomenal the amount of work he puts into it,” she said.

“He wakes up even on his days off to go to the gym. He is very

determined and has potential, and that’s going to let him get far.”

All three gymnasts compete at different levels, but they share a

focus on their long-term future in the sport.

While devoted to their sport, they are also straight-A students.