ROCKINGHAM — Miah Witherspoon is nearly 1,200 miles from home, making her first appearance in the 60th annual AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa.
Miah had half a year in the sport before joining the competition team with Dance Sensations and Gymnastics in Rockingham two years ago, according to her mother, April Witherspoon.
She admits she never really watched gymnastics on television.
Her mother said that while most kids swing on a swingset, Miah would do flips from the overhead bar and hang upside down on the bar in the bathroom.
Starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, she’ll be competing in the categories of vault, balance beam, parallel bars and floor — with her favorite event being the vault.
Miah said she was surprised to find out during a national competition in Knoxville, Tennessee, that she was heading to the Junior Olympics.
“I was in the back, behind the stage, and they were just calling everybody’s name — and they called mine and I was like, ‘What in the world?’
Her mother was also shocked.
“It was a surprise,” April Witherspoon said. “We didn’t think anybody from our team was going to make it.”
Miah said she forgot one part of her routine on the beam, “so I don’t even know how I got second.”
She also placed third in floor, fourth on the vault and fifth All-Around.
April Witherspoon said Miah had “an off day” during the state competition, but at nationals “she showed up and she shined.”
The 13-year-old, who will be attending Rockingham Middle in the upcoming year, plans to play volleyball and soccer. She previously played recreational soccer.
“She loves all sports,” her mother said. “She wants to try tennis, track, swim if she can … she just wants to do it all.”
