It’s Tuesday!!! That means it’s 20 Questions Tuesday!! We are back to our regularly scheduled programming and will continue to feature some of our JO National Competitors and 2019-2020 1st year level 10s for the remainder of the summer.
Next up is JO National Qualifier Abby Singh of Phenom Gymnastics in Illinois. Abby, who has a twin sister that is also a Level 10 at Phenom, qualified to her first JO National Championships in 2019 placing in the top 7 at Regionals. I love watching Abby on vault, which is also her favorite event, for her power and tight lines. Abby competes a Yurchenko Layout 1/2, which is performs beautifully, as well a full. Abby, who has 1 more year of high school to go, will definitely be one to watch coming up here in her senior year as well as when she joins the Western Michigan University Broncos in the fall of 2021. Phenom has been back to practice for a few weeks now, so I am hoping that Abby got to do all of the things she told us about in there feature upon returning to the gym. At least during corona quarantine Abby was not alone, I am sure it made things so much easier having someone with you to practice with, go on runs with and just spend time with while we were away from the gym. However, I am sure they are much happier being back together with all of their teammates in the gym. Abby and her sister have always been incredible teammates and team players, always cheering for 
everyone and always being very invested in their Phenom teammates. I truly love to see this kind of sportsmanship and love for one another! That is what being part of a team is all about, encouraging each other, standing by each other and doing it together! Abby and Gigi certainly embrace true meaning of being a good teammate, that can be very rare to find sometimes. I cannot wait to continue to follow Abby into this next season, she will definitely be “one to watch” this year as we figure out how to compete in our new normal! So, let’s get to know Abby a little bit better as she finishes out the summer, prepares for her senior year of high school and her last year with us here in Region 5!!!
How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I got involved in gymnastics because my twin sister and I were always bouncing around the house, so our mom put us in a Mommy and Me class when we were 2 ½ years old.
What is your favorite event? Why? My favorite event is vault, 
because I love running fast, and launching through the air.
Favorite Skill to train/compete? Why? My favorite skill to train and compete is the Tkachev because it was one of the hardest skills for me to learn and is the most rewarding when I do it correctly.
Dream Skill? My dream skill would be either a full-in on floor or a Yurchenko 1 ½ on vault.
What is your favorite part of gymnastics? My favorite part of gymnastics is being able to improve every day and being able to show the hard work I put into practice when I compete.
What college do you plan on attending? I will be attending Western Michigan University in 2021.
What is your favorite meet to compete at? Why? My favorite meet to compete at is Level 10 JO Nationals. The whole atmosphere is amazing and being part of Region 5 is inspiring and pushes me to work hard every year to make it to Nationals.
Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? My biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far is qualifying to JO Nationals in 2019 and getting a full-ride scholarship to Western Michigan.
What is your favorite Region 5 Insider Feature or Series? My favorite Region 5 Insider feature is the All Access Workouts, because it is really interesting to see how other teams train throughout the year.
What kinds of things really make you laugh? The things that make me laugh the most are funny TikTok videos.
3 Things you could not live without? Three things I could not live without are my family, my friends and teammates, and gymnastics.
If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? I would be a lion because it is a strong and powerful animal that is always seen as a leader.
Thoughts on the 2019-2020 Season ending like it did? I was really disappointed that the season ended the way it did because we had the three most important meets of the season left. With all of the hard work I had put in throughout the year, I was looking forward to qualifying to Nationals again and enjoying the end of the season with my teammates.
What are you doing to keep up your training during Corona Quarantine? At our gym, we are doing Zoom workouts three times a week, and on the other days we are working out in small groups over Facetime. I also enjoy going on runs with my sister and doing basics in my backyard.
What do you miss most about gymnastics during this time? During this time, I miss everything about gymnastics. The things I miss most are training and improving my skills and seeing my teammates and coaches in person.
What is the first thing you want to do once you can get back to gym & training? The first thing I would do is upgrades to prepare for my senior season.
Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? My most embarrassing meet moment was during the training day at Nationals. I was doing my front pass, and I missed my feet and I hit my face into the floor. I had a bloody nose in front of everybody and my coaches were freaking out!
Do you have a nickname? If so, what Is the story behind it? My nickname at the gym is The Boss. This name is a competition between my sister and I since we were level 8’s. Whoever was doing better at a meet or practice was called The Boss.
Which athletes (any sport) do you respect the most and why? The most inspiring athlete that I respect is Rudy Ruettiger. He was a Notre Dame football player that was the basis for the movie Rudy. I respect this athlete, because he was an underdog who never gave up on his dream and did everything to make it possible.
Something you learned from Gymnastics that you will take with you? Some lessons I have learned from gymnastics that I will take with me are hard work, perseverance, and discipline.
Most Memorable Gymnastics or Nationals Moment? My most memorable Nationals moment was on my second event at this past JO Nationals. As I have had a love hate relationship with bars, everything came together in this one routine. I did my best routine with my family and teammates cheering me on from the stands!
What is the most valuable piece of advice or wisdom your coach has given you? My coach has always said that gymnastics isn’t just about learning skills and getting stronger, it is about learning lifelong lessons like discipline, taking initiative, and dealing with adversity.
Bonus Question: Tell me something interesting about yourself…. I love numbers. Every day Marco and I send numbers of the time to each other. For example, when it is 12:34 or 11:11 it is considered a lucky time. Also, at meets I am able to calculate my scores and other people’s scores instantaneously to figure what the all- around score would be or what I would need on my last event to get a certain all-around.
