Poetry in Motion
“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.”
—-Joel Brown
Athletic success can at times be tied to talent, but accomplishments in the world of sports run much deeper than natural ability. Hard work, dedication, and following a scripted plan can be the difference between average and good. Still another element exists that separates the elites from the rest. To be the best of the best often requires a mental resolve to overcome discomfort, setbacks, and failures while blocking out the outside noise created by the naysayers. Harper Creek eighth-grade student, Grady Kape, has excelled as a gymnast, with his mental fortitude being his most important attribute.
Grady was born on July 31, 2011, the first child of Corey and Suzanne Kape. Grady has a younger sister, Ella, who is a sixth-grade student at Harper Creek Middle School. Grady reflected on some of his childhood memories and interests outside of gymnastics. “I enjoy being outside, throwing a football around, or doing flips on the trampoline. I also like hunting and fishing with Mom, Dad, and my grandpa. My grandpa and I like to have a competition when we go fishing to see who can catch the most fish. We usually go fishing for bass and bluegill at Graham Lake or Lee Lake.”
Like Grady and Ella, Corey and Suzanne were also Harper Creek students. Grady talked about being a Harper Creek student. “Ella and I both went to Sonoma starting in kindergarten. One of my favorite memories from Sonoma was the color run that our teachers at Sonoma organize every year, on the last day of school. I also like having Mom work at the Middle School and at Sonoma. It is convenient being able to ride in with her to school on the days she is there.” Suzanne has worked as an occupational therapist for Calhoun ISD starting in 2009 and has been providing services for Harper Creek students since 2019.
Both Suzanne and Corey were athletes for Harper Creek, with Corey playing baseball and golf, and Suzanne as a decorated volleyball player. Grady has followed in his parents' footsteps as an athlete. “Grady started gymnastics in preschool when he was three years old,” recalled Suzanne, “taking classes at Branch Gymnastics.” At the time, Suzanne and Corey didn’t anticipate the impact gymnastics would have on Grady. “After a year of taking preschool classes, we decided not to sign Grady up for classes the following year,” said Suzanne. “Although he didn’t return to Branch the next year, we signed him up for rec classes a year later at the age of five.” From there, gymnastics would become a great passion for Grady, taking up much of his time.
Grady talked about how his journey in gymnastics unfolded from the time he joined the pre-team. “Pre-team is kind of like a try-out for the team. It introduces gymnasts to what a team is like. For pre-team, we had two practices each week for two hours each time. I was on pre-team for half a year before being invited to move up to the team. I have been on Branch Gymnastics’ team since then.”
Gymnastics has taught Grady a great deal about himself. It has given him tools to navigate through life while also showing him what he was capable of. “Through gymnastics,” Grady noted. “I have learned that I can push myself beyond what I perceive to be my limits.” Gymnastics shares many similarities with other sports, while also differing in other ways. Grady’s coaches help prepare him to perform individually. Although he and his teammates showcase their skills individually, the scores they receive are combined as a total team score. Each event score is calculated by adding a degree of difficulty score to an execution score. A perfect execution score is 10, with a typical total score ranging from 14 to 16 when the degree of difficulty is added to it. The scores for each individual for each event that they perform are then combined for a total team score. “When I first learn a skill, it’s hard to understand and perform it,” explained Grady. “Each skill becomes easier the more I practice it. As I learn a skill, I continue to practice and perform it, and eventually, other skills are introduced. Everything is a part of a progression, with tiny skills leading up to bigger and more difficult skills. The more I progress, the more I have to be tough mentally.”
Gymnastics has evolved through the years into an athletic competition. At its core, it is a demonstration of physical strength, flexibility, and body awareness in space. In essence, gymnastics is a form of art. It is poetry in motion. Hours and hours of practice are required to perfect each skill. “We do strength training every day,” said Grady. “We use some weights, but a lot of it is body and resistance training. We do a ton of stretching. During the off-season, we work on new skills, cardio, and weight training. We do some running for conditioning.” Grady’s schedule can be grueling. “He usually does some training during the season and off-season at home,” Suzanne shared. “This includes practicing skills on the trampoline and also strength exercises such as chin-ups and push-ups.” Hard work and commitment have allowed Grady to experience success as an athlete, but this could not have happened without the support of his family. “He goes to practice four days a week for four and a half hours a day, a total of eighteen hours a week,” explained Suzanne. “It makes it difficult for him to eat at an evening meal at a normal time, and oftentimes, I have something prepared for him to eat on the drive home from practice.”
Grady’s team competes in a handful of competitions each year. “The events that I participate in include floor routine, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar,” Grady noted. “The pommel horse is probably my favorite and strongest event.” The floor routine is a dynamic and expressive event that includes tumbling passes, dance elements, and artistic flair and is performed on a specially designed spring floor. The pommel horse routine is a series of continuous circular movements performed while supporting the upper body on the hands with the legs moving in a scissor-like or swinging motion. The rings event is a test of strength, control, and skill, and is performed on two rings suspended with straps from a metal frame. The vault event consists of the gymnast sprinting down a runway, jumping onto a springboard, and then propelling themselves onto a vaulting table, and executing various ariel maneuvers before landing on a mat. The horizontal bar is an event that challenges the gymnast to perform various skills on a bar that is held above and parallel to the floor, including giant turns, release and regrasp skills, culminating with a dismount. Parallel bars consist of two wooden bars mounted on adjustable frames, set at a consistent height and width apart, with gymnasts performing swings, flight elements, movements requiring strength and balance, and a dismount.
The competition season for Grady occurs over a six-month period of time. “There are typically five to seven competitions a year, including nationals and regionals,” Suzanne added. “Most are within a two-hour drive, except for nationals. Last year’s nationals were in Fort Lauderdale. The level that Grady competes at requires a big commitment from him and from Corey, and me. The competition season runs from December to May, but with practices and training, it is a year-round season. Grady entered the 14/15 year age group last year, which is the youngest group that can go to nationals. He was able to qualify for nationals at the regional meet, earning national championship status for his age group on the horizontal bar.”
The chemistry that Grady and his teammates have developed has left a lasting impression on Corey. “When Grady first started this journey, I wasn’t sure if gymnastics would have the same team bond and drive that you see in traditional school sports,” explained Corey. “After watching Grady’s first few gymnastics meets, and seeing how close this team has become, has opened my eyes. I’m amazed by how much of a team sport it really is. I appreciate the life lessons that Grady has gained along the way with this sport. The Branch Gymnastics boys are a special group with many individuals qualifying for nationals and several, including Grady, competing at an elite level.”
Grady’s coaches don’t restrict their athletes to a specific diet, but he still tries to give his body what it needs to train and compete. “I try to eat a lot of protein,” Grady explained. “We have to eat some during practices because they are so long. I usually bring a protein bar with me to practice. I also try to drink a lot of water during practice.”
Gymnastics requires much of Grady’s time with daily practices and road trips for competitions, but he is still a student. Flexibility is the key for him when it comes to school. “I try to do some of my homework on the bus if I don’t need a computer,” Grady said. “When I get home from practice, I take a quick shower and then finish my homework.” Grady understands that he may have to up his game when he starts high school with more academic and homework demands.
As is common in sports, Grady’s body has been pushed to its limits. “I have had a few injuries,” he added. “I have hyperextended both of my elbows on two different occasions when I was eight years old. I had to take a week off from training to recover from each of these injuries. One time, I fell while practicing on the floor and had a concussion. I was on concussion protocol for six weeks.”
Grady has developed a passion for his sport. He reflected on this. “I kind of fell in love with gymnastics after winning first place on the floor for my very first competition. I would like to compete in college with the U of M being my dream school to compete for. I also would like to compete in the Olympics someday.” Gymnastics has helped foster resilience and patience in how Grady approaches his sport and life. “When you think you have reached your limit, keep pushing,” Grady noted. “Eventually, you will hit your goal.”
Watching your child work hard to experience positive outcomes and success can be a great source of pride. “It is rewarding to see your child find a passion and succeed,” Suzanne shared. “Grady’s physical strength is amazing, but his mental resolve is even more impressive. It is not just his performance as an athlete that makes me proud. Grady is very humble and does not flaunt his success to others. Another cool thing that has happened for Grady is that when he was in sixth grade, he was voted for the American Legion Award by his peers.”
Sometimes, appearances really can be deceiving. On the surface, Grady doesn’t look like a typical athlete. With the help of his coaches and an unwavering work ethic, he has built strength and dexterity that are not easily seen when he is not performing as an athlete. The skill set he has built is the vehicle that has helped him to excel, with his mental resolve being the engine that has driven his success in the past and will propel him to new heights in the future. He has the tools to continue to grow and also to be a role model to help others grow.