Last November, we featured the story of Melissa Doucette, a former University of Bridgeport gymnast from New Hampshire who decided at the age of 24 to continue competing as a level 10 after college with the hopes of becoming an elite in the back of her mind.

We caught up with Melissa after her first elite qualifier in Texas last weekend to see how things have been going…and let’s just say a lot has changed!

The last time we talked to you, you were training to compete level 10. How has your season been going?

My season has been a whirlwind to say the least! I couldn’t be happier with how things are playing out. Originally I was planning on competing level 10. Tammy Biggs came to my gym for a clinic and told me to try to qualify elite. This season I’ve been doing both level 10 and elite meets and so far they are going better than expected!

How was your experience competing at the Texas Prime meet?

The Texas Prime was the most exciting and rewarding experiences for me so far this season. I had the ability to qualify to the Legendz Classic and I will cherish that moment forever. I got to meet Betty Okino, and I truly look up to her as an athlete and person. She inspires me to believe in myself and she has such a positive energy. We still keep in contact and she helps me often. I also happened to be in the same rotation as Kim Zmeskal and that is when she talked to me about training with her athletes. This meet was a turning point for me because I realized that I could be something special in gymnastics if I am willing to work just as hard (if not harder), because in elite I am the underdog, so I am playing catch-up.

You recently competed at your first elite qualifier. Could you talk about your experience at the WOGA Classic?

Everything was very new for my coach and me. We are new with the rules, but all the coaches were willing to help us and see us succeed! I had a great compulsory meet and qualified out on vault and floor! So going into optionals, I did those events to the best of my ability. I do not regret anything. I put in more than 100% every day in training, but unfortunately I was 0.6 away from making elite. This is mostly due to my leaps, and I need to work the code a little bit more to get those tenths back. Now that I know what to expect, I can go into the next qualifier with a higher level of confidence!

How has your visit been at Texas Dreams? What’s it like to train with Kim?

Texas Dreams is such an amazing experience. I’ve never seen a gym full of high level athletes so happy to be doing what they are doing. I have so much respect for Kim. On my first day, she told me that her biggest rule is communication. She likes to build relationships with her athletes and trust should go both ways in order to have success. I fully buy into this! She is so passionate about what she does and even though I am not her athlete, she is still willing to do whatever I need in order to get better. I’ve learned new skills, but most importantly, I got to see how the best athletes in the country train. They are so mentally strong and are the hardest workers. I loved being a part of that because that fuels me to do better.

Have you experienced any disappointments or setbacks this season? How have you worked to overcome them?

I’ve had many! Doing gymnastics as an adult can be difficult at times! My body doesn’t heal as fast as a younger gymnast, and I need to put more focus on my conditioning, because that will prevent me from getting injured. A few weeks back I missed my hands on a pak and hurt my ribs pretty badly. It was hard to do endurance exercises because it was hard for me to breathe. Over time, it got better, but I just had to remind myself that everything happens for a reason, and I need to stay positive and work on what I can instead of focusing on the things that I can’t do.

Does knowing that you’re significantly older than most of the girls you compete against have any effect on you?

It does not. To me, preparation is the most important thing. Over time I’ve been getting better. I’ve learned things over the years; I keep what works for me and learn from what doesn’t work for me. Do I wish that I was capable of elite when I was younger? Of course! I don’t think it affects me though because I understand that this is an amazing opportunity that not a lot of people get!

How do you balance being a coach and being an elite level gymnast?

This is something that is very difficult. As meets approach, it is getting harder but my boss is very supportive of me trying to be elite. The hardest part is the finances. I support myself. I am an adult, so at times this can be very difficult (especially missing so much work to travel). Other than that, I can work out in the morning and then coach at night so that works great!

A GoFundMe page was started in your honor. Were you surprised at how much support you had?

Honestly, yes! The support I have is amazing because I would not be able to be elite if everyone didn’t come together! I am so thankful. I can’t believe the support that I am getting! Financing everything has to be one of the hardest parts about being an elite as an adult.

As we near the end of February, what are your current plans and goals? What will your focuses be?

I would love to qualify to Classics. It is so hard to do your first year but I want it more then anything! I would also like to qualify to level 10 nationals and place. I believe that would be an awesome accomplishment as well!

Melissa is off to LA to compete at the AOGC elite qualifier. We wish her the very best in her journey and will continue to follow up with her as she goes through her season.

If you want to help support Melissa’s elite dreams, you can make a donation through Go Fund Me.

Article by Sarah Chrane
Photo thanks to Melissa Doucette