The UF gymnastics team and about two dozen aspiring 2020 Olympians stocked local food banks Sunday with enough canned goods to outweigh a handful of 5-year-olds.
Marching through Gate 4 of the O’Connell Center at noon, grade-school gymnasts and their parents donated about 275 pounds of non-perishables before entering the gymnastics studio for the annual Harvest Food Drive Clinic.
UF gymnasts and coaches guided their little pupils through an obstacle course of separate stations, occasionally acting as impromptu cushions as parents looked on with cameras in hand.
“It’s all she’s talked about all weekend,” said Rachael Smith, 38, of her 10-year-old daughter, Josie, who’s been competing for two years. “She was even excited about collecting the cans.”
Head coach Rhonda Faehn helped lead warm-up stretching and oversaw the balance beams. She said that the clinic is just as beneficial to her gymnasts as it is to the children who participate.
“It’s amazing to be able to interact with these kids, and it’s wonderful to have our athletes become role models,” said Faehn, who got into gymnastics as a child on the heels of her next-door neighbor. “This is a passion for me, not a job. I get to come out here for a good cause and promote physical activity.”
Alicia Goodwin, 20, an All-American in the uneven bars, agreed with her coach’s sentiment. “It’s great to be able to help out the community,” she said. “And I coach every summer. It’s good to be on the other side.”
Nicole Sjoden, 11, who’s been taking gymnastics since she was 5, gathered with her friends for a photo with the team after completing the stations. Nicole said her favorite parts of the afternoon were the trampoline and getting to meet the UF team.
