Fresh Face Friday - Jasmine Vallejo

Property of Jasmine Vallejo

Quick Facts - 
Name: Jasmine Vallejo
D.O.B.: December 1, 2000 (Senior in 2016)
Gym: Precision Gymnastics
Coaches: Jill & Trent Spaulding








When I attended last year's US Challenge I was struck by one of my biggest pet peeves: cutesy floor routines. In my opinion, if your music sounds like it should be in a parade or carnival, it shouldn't be floor music. But anyway, one of the girls had a floor routine with the perfect amount of maturity and difficulty for a HOPES 11 year old: Jasmine Vallejo.

As the youngest girl in the entire meet, Jasmine's elegance on both floor and beam really stood out to me.

(Beam starts about a minute in)

Although she struggled a bit at this meet, her elegance and lines wowed me and I really anticipate this girl going far. Her long term goal, like many gymnasts, is to go to the Olympics. But for this season, she's looking "to mature as a competitor and have a strong performance at the US Classic in May." 

At only 10, Jasmine has been invited to "Developmental Camps" at the Ranch where she trained along with many other Elite hopefuls. 

Here are a few questions to help us learn a little bit more about Jasmine: 

What do you see as your biggest strengths and weaknesses? 

"I love to learn new skills and never give up no matter how difficult it may be at first. I would say that my biggest weakness is sometimes I want to move on too quickly and neglect the simpler elements in my routines."

What's your favorite competition you've competed in? 

"I don't think I've met my favorite yet. I love them all because I love to compete." 

Can you tell a funny/embarrassing story you've had in gymnastics? 

"Last year on the flight home from development camp, I was exhausted and I was dreaming. I woke up standing in front of my seat with my coach and some other passengers standing around me. My coach asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was dreaming and that in my dream he had asked me to do a stretch jump. He was laughing at me because as I dreamt it, I did it and scared him and everyone else on the plane."