BROOKLYN WEINGARDT: Bending like Brooklyn

A gymnast walks out to the beam, taking a breath, feeling the pressure, and hearing the cheering from the crowd. This is what Brooklyn Weingardt has been training for: an opportunity to perform at the collegiate level.

Brooklyn Weingardt–Frederick’s standout Senior–recently signed at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut for both athletic and academic scholarships. “I’m planning on majoring in Elementary Education and potentially going through their master’s program. I went on a visit and loved their gymnastics program, so when I was offered a scholarship I was excited to accept it,” states Brooklyn.

Brooklyn’s journey started at a young age. She started competing and growing as a young athlete at the age of 5 which helped her grow to love the sport. Brooklyn quotes, “I’ve been doing gymnastics for over 12 years now. Making it to the collegiate level was my biggest motivator to keep going and continue improving each day. Now that I’m going to be on the gymnastics team at UB, I am motivated to be the best teammate I can be, and I want to be able to contribute to my team as much as possible.”

Brooklyn hopes to compete in all four events: Vault, Uneven bars, Balance beam, and Floor exercise during her four years of college. Brooklyn explains, “While competing the thought is —just have fun, you got this! It’s always running through my head! Performing in front of everyone is so exciting because I get to show the hard work I’ve been putting in.”

Life’s passion looks different for many people but as for Brooklyn Weingardt, hers is gymnastics. Brooklyn quotes, “Gymnastics has been my whole life for as long as I can remember and it’s made me who I am today. It has taught me to be determined, resilient, and how to work hard.”

While Brooklyn continuously works hard she explains how sometimes being a student-athlete can become super overwhelming. “Being a student-athlete can be super challenging but so rewarding. Learning to manage my time and get all my schoolwork done can be tough, especially in the middle of the season because everything piles up.”

As Brooklyn finishes up her last month of high school she shared some amazing achievements she’s made as a student-athlete. “I have been a level 10 gymnast since 8th grade, and I have been a regional qualifier all three years I’ve been able to. In school, I have been in NHS since sophomore year, and I have lettered academically every semester of high school. I’m currently ranked 7th in our senior class with a 4.27 GPA.”

Brooklyn also has experienced ways to have fun during her long journey of success. Along the way, she has found other things that interest her outside of school and sports. She loves to hang out with friends, go on hikes, and draw. While managing to have fun she has established ways to get things done. Whether it’s academics or athletics Brooklyn will go on to succeed in taking her next steps forward in her life at The University of Bridgeport.