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Former Gymdog Ashley Kupets Flying High in Vegas

Ashley Kupets in La Reve

After putting in years and years of gymnastics training, many gymnasts wonder what they will do with their lives. Former UGA gymnast and USA National Team Member, Ashley Kupets is done with her competitive gymnastics career, but has found a way to take all her training and skills to a new level as a member of the cast of La Reve at the Wynn Theater in Las Vegas.

Ashley, the older sister of the newly crowned 2009 NCAA All Around Gymnastics champion Courtney Kupets, wasn’t sure what to do job-wise when she graduated from UGA. Even with a degree in graphic design, she just felt the need to act or perform – something she had been doing since she was a little girl in the gymnastics arena.

According to the Online Athens story,

When Kupets told Suzanne Yoculan her aspirations, the Georgia gymnastics coach put her former athlete in contact with a casting director, who had e-mailed her the day before.

Two weeks later, Kupets was on a plane to Las Vegas for her first audition.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” she said.

Kupets was put through a series of tests – strength, choreography, improvisational dance, tumbling and trapeze work. But the most grueling part was the swimming portion.

She had to swim 250 meters without stopping, swim 65 feet underwater without coming up for air, drop 30 feet from a trapeze into the water and tread water for 10 minutes.

“It was just crazy stuff that I’ve never done before,” Kupets said. “It was exhausting, but it was so much fun.”

A week later, the 24-year-old was told she had the job. She picked up and moved to Las Vegas in November to begin training for the show.

“It’s not a place where I would have thought I would ever move,” she said. “I didn’t know anybody here. I didn’t know where I was going to live. It was really scary. But I felt like it would be a really good time for me to grow and become the person who I’m going to be for the rest of my life. It’s an incredible experience to be on your own so far away from home and not know anyone.”

Kupets’ sudden move surprised her former coach.

“I’m very proud of her because she’s very introverted. She’s very shy,” Yoculan said. “For her to just break out and go out there, it’s not something that you would have expected Ashley Kupets to do.”

After two months of training, including scuba diving certification, Kupets performed in her first show in late January. She dances, does aerial acrobatics, tumbles and swims in at least two major acts in back-to-back shows five nights a week.

Its neat to see the different career paths collegiate athletes take, and this one seems to be such a natural fit for Ashley while still challenging her in many ways. I can only wonder if little sister Courtney will follow again in her footsteps, return to Elite competition or forge a completely different path all together.

sports girls play

April 18, 2009 2 Comments

Shawn Johnson Wins the AAU Sullivan Award

AAU Sullivan Award winner Shawn Johnson seen here with Mitchell Musso on the set of DWTS (from Flickr)

Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson has another accolade to add to her resume – she was awarded the AAU Sullivan award this evening at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. (Photo – AAU Sullivan Award winner Shawn Johnson seen here with Mitchell Musso on the set of DWTS from Flickr)

There were five finalists for this year’s award – Shawn Johnson, fellow Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin, Volleyball player Cynthia Barboza, Basketball player Tyler Hansborough, and the members of the US men’s Olympic 4×100 swimming team.

The AAU Sullivan award is considered to be the Oscar’s of the sports world. It is used to recognize outstanding amateur athletes who show excellence in their sport, leadership, character and sportsmanship.

Congratulations Shawn!

sports girls play

April 16, 2009 Leave a Comment

Look Who’s Playing! Celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day


February 4th, 2009 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day.  NGWSD was started in 1987 to celebrate the accomplishments and participation of women in sports. Thousands of coaches, phys ed instructors, teachers, parents, athletes will celebrate the day by participating in events across the country. For a complete listing, see the NGWSD event calendar.

The Women’s Sports Foundation has some very interesting facts on women’s sports participation in 1987 compared to now – the numbers are impressive, but we still have areas for improvement.

A look at how far we have come….

Then…..  One in 27 girls participated in high school varsity sports
Now…… 1 in 2.5 are playing

Then…. 300,000 young women participated in interscholastic athletics
Now….. There are presently more than 3 million female scholastic athletes

Then…. NGWSD was a single event in Washington, D.C.
Now….. NGWSD will be celebrated in many cities across all 50 states

Then… Women participated in only 13 of the 24 events of the 1984 Olympic Games
Now….  In Beijing in 2008, female athletes competed in 28 of the 32 Olympic events

Then…. The Women’s Sports Foundation was the sole organization promoting of NGWSD
Now…   NGWSD is supported by an entire coalition of organizations that combines the experience and resources of the five premiere girls- and women-serving organizations in the United States: Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, National Women’s Law Center, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Then…. Title IX was the only legislation pertaining to the involvement of girls in sports
Now….  As of October 2006, 34 states have additional legislation that involves minimum requirements for school physical education programs

Then…. Female professional athletes received far less prize money compared to their male counterparts
Now…   At Wimbledon in 2007 and the Winter X Games in 2009, identical purses were given to both men and women winners.

While these numbers and facts show great strides being made, there is still a huge gap to overcome. Do your part to spread the word by celebrating NGWSD on February 4, 2009.

sports girls play

February 4, 2009 1 Comment

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