Jolene “Jojo” Beach is a freshman here at Sahuaro, who is described as a fun, positive, and enthusiastic person to be around. Jojo is a gymnast at Old Pueblo Gymnastics Academy, and a powerlifter at Be Strong Powerhouse.

Jojo had always been naturally flexible, so at just 8 years old, she finally decided to put that talent to use by joining gymnastics. Jojo says that her mom signed her up for her first class on her 8th birthday, and she fell in love with showing off her special skill. One of the things she struggled with when she was new to the sport was flips, but over the years, she has improved significantly.

Jojo’s favorite memory from gymnastics so far is conquering her giants on the bars. Over the past seven years, she has made a lot of mistakes, but she has overcome them by staying positive and always focusing on the bright side, rather than beating herself up about it. She shared that her biggest role model right now is Elena Deets, a level 10 gymnast who just graduated from the University of Arizona. By senior year, Jojo hopes to be a level 10 gymnast, receiving scholarships for the University of Oklahoma or the University of Arizona.

A typical day of training with her team involves upgrading skills and going over routines. Jojo’s biggest struggle is the bars, especially getting her shape right and mastering her vertical handstand. Another skill Jojo is practicing right now is her double backflip dismount on bars and double backflip on the floor. These skills require strength and precision, and only the most experienced gymnasts attempt them. Her current goals are to get excellent scores at meets and to move up a level. Right now, she is at platinum level and hopes to be a diamond by the end of this season.

This weekend, Jojo’s big event is regionals, which will be taking place in Sacramento, California. “I’m very nervous about it, I have a new skill on bars called giants, and I have to compete them and they’re very painful. I’m okay with everything else, like floor and beam. I’m also nervous about placing because I could either place as a fish or a gecko, but I’m hoping to be a gecko and get first place.”

In December, Jojo has a powerlifting event called Battle of the Barbells. Every day after school, she walks to the powerhouse to prepare for this competition. To prepare for these meets, she stays mentally focused by listening to an uplifting playlist and tries to avoid any negative thoughts that could distract her from doing her absolute best.

Overall, Jojo is pretty confident, but she believes there’s always room for improvement. Something she reminds herself daily is, “If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want will become the sacrifice.” -Albert Einstein