My name is Kristen Oliver and I am a senior gymnast here at Rhode Island College. For 17 years, the most important thing in my life has been the sport of gymnastics.

I have accomplished many goals throughout my childhood years and my high school years, and also at the college level. After I finished high school, I left this sport for a year due to the fact that I attended the Community College of Rhode Island and which didn’t offer gymnastics.

I thought I would never have the desire or the drive to go back to this sport that I love so much. Once I was accepted into Rhode Island College, I felt like checking out the women’s gymnastics team. Once I spoke to the coach and met the team, the desire to get back into training and competing all came back.

It took me a while to get back into training day after day, after being away for over a year, but I’m extremely happy that I decided to try again. With all the hard work and dedication that I had put into this sport, I had to finish what I had begun. I felt lazy and lost when I wasn’t involved in this sport.

After three years at RIC, my gymnastics career is coming to an end. It’s funny how the years go by so fast. I have this gut feeling that the Rhode Island College Gymnastics Anchorwomen are going to do extremely well this year.

I have never been part of such a wonderful and strong team in my life. We’re aren’t only teammates, we are also friends. Friends who will stick together to accomplish many goals as a team. I know in my heart that we can be the number one gymnastics team in Division III.

I have never been to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships in my college years, but this year my goal is to get there. I have a good feeling that not only are we going to make it to the National Championships, we also have a good shot to win.

I know these are high expectations, but I can promise we will do our best to achieve them.

Kristen Oliver is a senior captain on the RIC women’s gymnastics team. The Anchorwomen have been busy preparing for the 2001-02 season which begins on Monday, Dec. 3 at home against Brown University.