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ARMENIAN AMERICAN GYMNAST MAY COMPETE FOR ARMENIA IN 2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
BY MOLLY IRENE OLMSTEAD
Asbarez
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Houry Gebeshian will travel 6,153 miles from Iowa City to Armenia
over winter break.
But that's not the only place the senior Iowa gymnast is going. With
a possible opportunity to compete for Armenia in the 2011 World
Gymnastics Championships in October, the senior has an incredible
future ahead of her.
Gymnastics is reputed to be a sport meant only for the young, but
Gebeshian is breaking the mold by entering the elite gymnastics circuit
after her collegiate career. By visiting Armenia, the birthplace of
her parents, during winter break, the athletics-training major will
begin the next phase of a gymnastics career she's followed since she
was 7 years old.
Gymnasts are usually small and extremely thin, with tiny arms and legs,
but Gebeshian is a muscular and broad-shouldered athlete without the
"beautiful body type of a typical gymnast," she said. Her childhood
gymnastics coach never predicted her to compete at the level she's
at now, to win the 2010 Big Ten beam championship, or to appear at
the world-championship level.
Head coach Larissa Libby knows otherwise.
"To be able to return to elite gymnastics after collegiate gymnastics
is rare, and it's a remarkable statement," Libby said. "She has
an incredible opportunity for herself, and we all know she's going
to succeed."
It's also uncommon for college athletes to balance their training
schedules with a major as intensive as athletics training.
"I have absolutely no free time," said Gebeshian, who begins her day
with strength and cardio conditioning, then goes to her team practice,
then attends a full day of classes before going to the wrestling room
and athletics-training room for the rest of the evening.
"The schedule that this young lady submits herself to is absolutely
insane," Libby said. "But she's learned to balance her life. She's
learned that once you figure out all of the things that you want to
do with life, you have to figure out how to manage the work it takes
to make them happen."
Gebeshian has lofty goals, and these goals, paired with a strong work
ethic, have molded her into a successful student, athlete, and leader.
"Houry is probably one of the most tenacious, hardworking people I have
ever met," assistant coach Caleb Phillips said. "She's goal-oriented,
determined, and she's relentless in everything she does."
Although not usually vocal, she leads by setting an example in the
gym in the way she trains and competes. Her ability to set goals for
herself and her unremitting pursuit of them sets a high standard for
the rest of the team to follow.
Being a leader of the GymHawks has further motivated Gebeshian to
chase down the goals she has set for herself in college gymnastics,
elite gymnastics, and in the rest of her life.
"Because I encourage everyone to set goals and work hard, it has made
me really work hard and come into the gym every day thinking about
these huge aspirations and huge goals I have with the [NCAA] national
championships, world championships, and my career," Gebeshian said.
"There are bigger things out there for me."
When Gebeshian travels to Armenia over winter break, there will be
no doubt that she's on track to achieve all of her goals. She'll
work on getting Armenian citizenship and meeting with the Armenian
gymnastics team, but she'll also set up the initial stages of her
next great success.
Gebeshian plans to graduate in May. Following the World Championships
in October, she will begin her career as an athletics trainer. Her
goals are in front of her - ones she started nursing when she was
7, competing in club gymnastics with a tenacious work ethic and an
unrelenting determination.
"I think Houry will be successful at whatever she wants to do,
because she doesn't know any other way but to be a winner," Libby said.
Photo Credit: Kathleen Willem from the Daily Iowan
From: A. Papazian
BY MOLLY IRENE OLMSTEAD
Asbarez
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Houry Gebeshian will travel 6,153 miles from Iowa City to Armenia
over winter break.
But that's not the only place the senior Iowa gymnast is going. With
a possible opportunity to compete for Armenia in the 2011 World
Gymnastics Championships in October, the senior has an incredible
future ahead of her.
Gymnastics is reputed to be a sport meant only for the young, but
Gebeshian is breaking the mold by entering the elite gymnastics circuit
after her collegiate career. By visiting Armenia, the birthplace of
her parents, during winter break, the athletics-training major will
begin the next phase of a gymnastics career she's followed since she
was 7 years old.
Gymnasts are usually small and extremely thin, with tiny arms and legs,
but Gebeshian is a muscular and broad-shouldered athlete without the
"beautiful body type of a typical gymnast," she said. Her childhood
gymnastics coach never predicted her to compete at the level she's
at now, to win the 2010 Big Ten beam championship, or to appear at
the world-championship level.
Head coach Larissa Libby knows otherwise.
"To be able to return to elite gymnastics after collegiate gymnastics
is rare, and it's a remarkable statement," Libby said. "She has
an incredible opportunity for herself, and we all know she's going
to succeed."
It's also uncommon for college athletes to balance their training
schedules with a major as intensive as athletics training.
"I have absolutely no free time," said Gebeshian, who begins her day
with strength and cardio conditioning, then goes to her team practice,
then attends a full day of classes before going to the wrestling room
and athletics-training room for the rest of the evening.
"The schedule that this young lady submits herself to is absolutely
insane," Libby said. "But she's learned to balance her life. She's
learned that once you figure out all of the things that you want to
do with life, you have to figure out how to manage the work it takes
to make them happen."
Gebeshian has lofty goals, and these goals, paired with a strong work
ethic, have molded her into a successful student, athlete, and leader.
"Houry is probably one of the most tenacious, hardworking people I have
ever met," assistant coach Caleb Phillips said. "She's goal-oriented,
determined, and she's relentless in everything she does."
Although not usually vocal, she leads by setting an example in the
gym in the way she trains and competes. Her ability to set goals for
herself and her unremitting pursuit of them sets a high standard for
the rest of the team to follow.
Being a leader of the GymHawks has further motivated Gebeshian to
chase down the goals she has set for herself in college gymnastics,
elite gymnastics, and in the rest of her life.
"Because I encourage everyone to set goals and work hard, it has made
me really work hard and come into the gym every day thinking about
these huge aspirations and huge goals I have with the [NCAA] national
championships, world championships, and my career," Gebeshian said.
"There are bigger things out there for me."
When Gebeshian travels to Armenia over winter break, there will be
no doubt that she's on track to achieve all of her goals. She'll
work on getting Armenian citizenship and meeting with the Armenian
gymnastics team, but she'll also set up the initial stages of her
next great success.
Gebeshian plans to graduate in May. Following the World Championships
in October, she will begin her career as an athletics trainer. Her
goals are in front of her - ones she started nursing when she was
7, competing in club gymnastics with a tenacious work ethic and an
unrelenting determination.
"I think Houry will be successful at whatever she wants to do,
because she doesn't know any other way but to be a winner," Libby said.
Photo Credit: Kathleen Willem from the Daily Iowan
From: A. Papazian