* Gina Rogers, mother ofCoquitlam gymnast Brittany Rogers, will be contributing a blog regularly for The Tri-City News during the London 2012 Olympics. The following is her fourth installment:
This Olympic journey has been simply the best.We have been fortunate enough to spend three days watching our gymnast daughter, Brittany, compete at the 02 Arena in London as very proud parents, with our extremely proud family beside us. With family and friends Sunday, we had our own cheering section of nine at the vault finals for artistic gymnastics.
A couple of weeks ago, Britt received her Team Canada competitive gym suits by mail. She quickly ripped open the package and laid them out on the floor. Then she tried on each one, and started to laugh because she was sent three competitive suits.We asked her which ones she will be wearing at the Olympics, and she replied "I don't know. I will only need one." Meanwhile, she needed them all.
The team competed against the top 12 teams in the world, and managed to qualify for team finals.
Two days later, the team then competed in team finals and earned an unprecedented fifth-place finish.
And Sunday, we have spent our day for the third time at the Olympic Games watching our 19-year-old daughter overcome so many challenges with past injuries, growth spurts, mental blockd, and many other upsets that a teenage girl naturally experiences.She wore the third Canadian competitive suit so proudly and beautifully, and competed against the top 8 vaulters in the world!
I received a message from her Saturday night. She was drawn as the first competitor on a "no touch" start on the apparatus and she texted "I'M FIRST UP WITH NO WARM UP TOUCH. I'M GONNA BARF!"As a mother, of course, you want to help, but there was simply nothing I could do.
Sunday, our hearts were in our stomachs as we watched her come out and line up with eight of the best vault performers in the world. They were all announced individually, representing their countries, and within seconds, her time had come. Each athlete had to perform two vaults, and she was suddenly on the big screen at the 02 arena.I could see her talking to herself, and getting into the zone.
Her first vault was amazing.Her second vault was amazing. All we could do was to hold back our tears so that we could yell congratulations among the tens of thousands of fans, and wave our big Canadian flags. With less than a half point between her and a medal, it was an extremely close race.
This was her moment. Britt finished ranked seventh in the world on the vault apparatus.She was only one of three gymnasts that didn't have a fall. She was simply amazing.
We couldn't be more proud of her.
