HELENA — This weekend, Helena is flipping into the spotlight as one of Montana’s longest-running sporting traditions returns to the Queen City.
“I think all the kids have a great experience at this meet, and the fact that we have been doing it for 47 years keeps people coming back,” Casey Hammond, the co-owner of Gym 406, the event's host, said.
From rings to bars, gymnasts from ages six to eighteen are eligible to compete and come from all across the state and the surrounding region.
Gymnast Eisley Bushilla said, “I do gymnastics because I feel like it is a mentally tough sport and I like getting over that challenge of being scared on a skill.”
Although the kids are all about the competition, they are taking away more than just medals with them.
“It is important to be a hard-working person while you are a gymnast because otherwise you will just end up staying plateaued the whole way through your career,” Russell Baker, another gymnast, said.
All gymnasts compete in every event in a rotation to give experience to the youngsters and practice to those who have been competing for a long time.
Baker said, “I do it so I have something to do, and create friends, have a fun environment to hang out in, while also doing the things I love.”
The events will run through Sunday at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds and are open to the public with a small admission fee.
