By Katie von Behren
Executive Sports Editor.
Gymnastics is a sport that often flies under the radar, but one Costa athlete has remained dedicated to gymnastics for the past 10 years.
Sophomore Chelsea Shu began her gymnastics career when she was five years old and now trains for over 30 hours a week as a level 10 gymnast, the highest competitive level. University of California, Berkeley recently offered Shu an athletic scholarship after observing her talent on May 17.
“I cannot even explain the feeling when my coach told me a Cal representative was coming to watch me at practice,” Shu said. “I always dreamed of being a gymnast in college, so I am grateful for this opportunity. It seems unreal to already know what is ahead of me after high school.”
Many schools with top gymnastics programs attempted to recruit Shu, including the University of Georgia, Oregon State, University of Denver and the University of Michigan.
“Chelsea is an amazing gymnast who always tries her hardest in the gym, giving it her all,” former teammate sophomore Matteah Brow said. “She is a very supportive teammate who helps her friends when they are down while also making sure she gets all her work done.”
When UC Berkeley first expressed its interest in Shu in October, she did not hesitate to commit to her dream school when they offered her an athletic scholarship.
“Berkeley has always been my top choice in schools because I wanted to go somewhere with good academics as well as athletics,” Shu said. “To be able to continue gymnastics with their incredible program is amazing.”
It has often been challenging for Shu to balance school with her rigorous training.
“Chelsea has learned a lot since she first began training with me, and I am very proud of how far she has come,” coach Artur Akopyan said. “She takes our criticism to heart to improve on her skills, and I believe she truly deserves this scholarship because of the many years of training and dedication that she has put in.”
Shu placed first in the all-around on beam and floor at the California State Championship in 2012. She also finished first on beam and second in the all-around in the 2013 State Championships.
“Chelsea is a strong gymnast with an amazing work ethic, and I could not be more happy that she has committed to Cal,” teammate senior Sean Tafuri said. “I love training with her because she always works hard and puts in her best effort.”
Finishing in fourth place on beam at the National Championships, Shu continued on in the competition and eventually placed fourth in the all-around, bars and beam events at the National Invitational tournament in 2013.
“Chelsea has grown a lot as a gymnast in the last few years, easily impressing the judges at high level competitions,” Akopyan said. “Even though it is an individual sport, she represents the team well.”
Although Shu has already committed to Berkeley, she must continue with the same intense practice schedule at All Olympia Gymnastics Center six days a week and needs to perform well in future competitions in order to keep her scholarship.
“I knew that no matter what, I would love going to Cal even if I could not continue gymnastics, and I did not feel that way about the other colleges that offered me a scholarship,” Shu said. “After receiving Berkeley’s offer, I realized that all the sacrifices and accomplishments that I made have been worth it. I feel that all my hard work has paid off.”
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