Junior Georgia Dunlap launches herself off the vault and flips through the air. This time, she knows she is in the right place. She keeps twisting and twisting until her feet finally meet the mat. Dunlap proudly poses, knowing she has just overcome the “twisties.”

This was her first practice in the Katy Stars Gymnastics gym after getting the twisties two days ago while on beam.

“Twisties are very real, everybody deals with it,” Dunlap said. “It’s so dangerous to compete with the twisties, you just keep twisting and twisting without knowing where you are, it’s scary. Whenever I get the twisties, I take one to three days to review the basics and get my head in the right place.”

Dunlap started competitive gymnastics 11 years ago and has been a level 10 gymnast since 2023. According to the NCAA, only 5% of high school gymnasts make it to level 10. Dunlap competes for Katy Stars Gymnastics located in Katy, Texas, where she practices Monday through Saturday for four to five hours a day. Her competitions are mostly in Texas, Colorado and Florida, where she has won over 350 individual awards and over 70 team awards.

Dunlap said she finds it a challenge to balance school and practice while also keeping up with her physical and mental health.

“I have gotten better about procrastinating my schoolwork, I just get it done as soon as I have the time, “ Dunlap said. “Sometimes I even have to take a day off of practice so that I can focus on my homework and studying. I don’t usually get punished for missing practice.”

Despite the pressure from teammates and coaches to compete well, Dunlap focuses on herself and her goals first by blocking out external pressure. She thrives in competitions under this mindset — even receiving a 9.8 out of 10 possible points on bars as a level 9 gymnast two years ago at the state meet in Lubbock, Texas, her highest score yet. This score won her first place all around.

“A bunch of people watch you perform at competitions, so it’s important to clear your head and tune everything out,” Dunlap said. “Sometimes, I just need to not be scared of what my coaches, teammates or opponents are thinking about me and focus [on my routine] because in reality the only people who are really watching you are the judges.”

Dunlap considers gymnastics a mental and physical sport and sometimes she has to take breaks.

“It focuses a lot on how you can handle yourself and reminding yourself why you compete in gymnastics,” Dunlap said. Two seasons ago I had a back spasm in the middle of a meet, so I had to sit out for the rest of the meet. I had to take two weeks off of practice because I was overworking my back, and my body just couldn’t take it anymore.”

To prevent future injuries, Dunlap recovers by stretching and taking rest days. She prioritizes her own health.

“Everybody’s always focused on being perfect and getting straight 10s at competition, but you also have to realize not everybody’s opinion matters about you,” Dunlap said. “Overall, I have felt more confident in front of crowds after competing for so long and living up to my own expectations.”

Dunlap has competed with some of her teammates since she was 5 years old. These relationships have grown to be the ones Dunlap cherishes the most.

“Through gymnastics, I’ve learned that the people I surround myself with are very important, I feel like I can accomplish more when I’m around them and their good energy,” Dunlap said. “The relationships made in gymnastics are so supportive and inspiring since I’m surrounded by so many amazing athletes. I look up to them, especially the ones planning on continuing their gymnastics career in college.”

Dunlap’s teammates are inspired by her talent.

“Georgia and I have gotten really close through gymnastics. Her vault inspires me to improve every practice,” teammate Sophie Daniel said. “We basically grew up together in the gym!”

Dunlap hopes to continue competing in gymnastics through college, specifically vault.

“As of right now, I don’t know where I want to go to college or if I am going to continue [gymnastics] in college since my education is my top priority,” Dunlap said. “[But] if I received the opportunity to compete in the vault event in a college I was accepted to, I would consider it.”

Dunlap’s positive mindset and work ethic have overlapped outside of the gym as well.

“She has such a good attitude and determination towards gymnastics,” junior Alessandra Filis said. “She always strives to do better each day and learn new things even outside of gymnastics, pushing herself to be the best she can be.”

Out of all the gymnastics events: floor, beam, vault and uneven bars, vault is Dunlap’s favorite event. Dunlap wants to focus on improving her beam performances this upcoming season, January through May. Starting in January, she will compete in at least eight competitions.

“Beam is the most stressful for me because you’re on 4 inches of metal or wood, so you have to focus on being in a straight line,” Dunlap said. “There’s a lot of flaws that judges can take off points for in all events, but for beam specifically, I focus on pointing my toes and not bending my legs. That can cost my team a medal.”

Dunlap hasn’t always been passionate about the sport she now loves.

“When I was younger, I felt like quitting, similar to many other young girls,” Dunlap said. “My family and friends all encouraged me to continue with gymnastics because they saw the potential in me and pushed me to become a better athlete every day. Without them, I probably would have quit. It’s a really, really mentally challenging sport that can take some adjustment, especially for younger gymnasts. I have to remind myself that I am doing the sport for myself and nobody else.”