BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Despite a few challenges, which included struggles with fellow athletes as well as her coaches, Gabby excelled at the gym, entering and winning a number of state and national competitions. But as time passed, and with her sights set on competing in the Olympics, she realized she would need a different style of training to take her to the next level. While watching the 2008 Olympic Games, Gabby saw gymnastics coach Liang Chow, the man who coached 2007 World Champion and 2008 Summer Olympics balance beam gold medalist Shawn Johnson. Instantly, Gabby knew Chow was who she wanted as her new coach. Problem was, the training gym was in West Des Moines, Iowa, over 1,000 miles away from Gabby’s home in Virginia. At first, Natalie was not receptive to sending her 14-year-old child so far away. But with some pleading from Gabby, backed up by her two sisters, Natalie finally agreed. In October 2010, Gabby moved to Iowa where, for the next two years, she lived with a host family while in training. Over the next two years, Gabby excelled in her training. In March 2012 at Madison Square Garden Arena, New York City, she performed exhibition routines at the American Cup, an international competition that brings in top competitors from around the world. Although she was competing as an alternate, which means her scores didn't count toward the official results, Gabby posted the highest all-around score. She competed in the June 2012 U.S. National Championships in St. Louis, Mo., where she won the gold medal in uneven bars, silver in the all-around and bronze in floor. And in July, she competed at the 2012 Olympic Trials in San Jose, Calif., placing first in the all-around rankings, and securing the only guaranteed spot on the women’s Olympic gymnastics team. ‘You Are Not Coming Home!’ Seven months before the Olympics, it appeared that Gabby’s dreams of competing were about to self-destruct when the young gymnast informed her mother that she was homesick and wanted to quit. Understanding her daughter’s dilemma, but realizing she was living her dream, Natalie told Gabby she could not come home. “She just said, ‘You are not coming home,’” Gabby recalled. “‘We have all given up so much. We’ve all sacrificed so much. You’re almost there. You don’t want to have regrets, so just keep pushing it and don’t give up.’ “At first I was upset that she would say that to me,” says Gabby. “I wanted to ask: ‘How could you not want me home? You don’t understand. This is hard. Why do you want me to stick it out? I can’t.’ But the truth is, I really did understand. They just wanted what was best for me. “This was something I wanted, and I made the decision to leave home to get it. When I did, I was so ready to take on this new journey and have fun and train with this new coach. I was ready for a new chapter. But when it actually happened and my family wasn’t there, I realized what I had done. My mom and my siblings were right. I just needed to focus and keep pushing. “The next day, something clicked in my spirit and I heard these words: God has a plan for you. Don’t give up,” Gabby said. “I got my Bible and read Jeremiah 29:11. Then I thought, God knows what He’s doing and I know He has a plan in store for me. There’s something greater. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. His ways are higher than my ways.” Gabby picked up her phone, called Natalie and told her, “I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, Mom.” “I just had to believe God and apply my faith,” she said. Applying her faith. That’s what Gabby has continually done to get through the rough patches which have come while she’s been chasing her dream. It’s what she’s been doing ever since she was a small child living in Richardson, Texas, and learning about God as a member of Superkid Academy, the children’s ministry at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, while her family were members of Eagle Mountain International Church. “When [the Superkids] were going through hard times, they would put their faith into action and believe God to deliver them from the situation,” Gabby remembers from watching videos of Commander Kellie and the SuperkidsTM. “That’s how my mom taught me to respond.” *****continues on next page***** ****************************** Read Through the Bible January Old Testament/New Testament Thu 1 Gen. 1-3 / Matt. 1-2 Fri 2 Gen. 4-5 / Matt. 3 Sat 3 Gen. 6-7 / Matt. 4 Sun 4 Gen. 8-9 / Matt. 5 Mon 5 Gen. 10-11 / Matt. 6 Tue 6 Gen. 12-13 / Matt. 7 Wed 7 Gen. 14-15 / Matt. 8 Thu 8 Gen. 16-18 / Matt. 9-10 Fri 9 Gen. 19-20 / Matt. 11 Sat 10 Gen. 21-22 / Matt. 12 Sun 11 Gen. 23-24 / Matt. 13 Mon 12 Gen. 25-26 / Matt. 14 Tue 13 Gen. 27-28 / Matt. 15 Wed 14 Gen. 29-30 / Matt. 16 Thu 15 Gen. 31-33 / Matt. 17-18 Fri 16 Gen. 34-35 / Matt. 19 Sat 17 Gen. 36-37 / Matt. 20 Sun 18 Gen. 38-39 / Matt. 21 Mon 19 Gen. 40-41 / Matt. 22 Tue 20 Gen. 42-43 / Matt. 23 Wed 21 Gen. 44-45 / Matt. 24 Thu 22 Gen. 46-48 / Matt. 25-26 Fri 23 Gen. 49-50 / Matt. 27 Sat 24 Ex. 1-2 / Matt. 28 Sun 25 Ex. 3-4 / Mark 1 Mon 26 Ex. 5-6 / Mark 2 Tue 27 Ex. 7-8 / Mark 3 Wed 28 Ex. 9-10 / Mark 4 Thu 29 Ex. 11-13 / Mark 5-6 Fri 30 Ex. 14-15 / Mark 7 Sat 31 Ex. 16-17 / Mark 8 “Read Through the Bible in a Year Plan” written by Marilyn Hickey, and used by permission. 16 : BVOV

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