Jordan Gillette, Natrona Heights

Jordan A. Gillette of Natrona Heights says gymnastics is “good exercise and keeps me out of trouble”. She qualified for USA Gymnastic sanctioned national competition in Indianapolis this January after achieving Second Place All Around in Palmyra, PA competitions last November. A 5th Grade student at Fawn Elementary School in Highlands School District, she also is a straight A student this year. She has kept A & Bs through out her first four grades in school in spite of an intensive gymnastic training schedule.

Jordan’s day begins at 7 a.m. with breakfast followed by catching the school bus and school from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Fridays she practices from 4 to 8 p.m. and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The weekend is more intense with training from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Her weekday ends with homework and bed. She is so busy the interview with Jordan took place after 10 p.m.!

Jordan Gillette doing a back layout

When you add the numbers up, she attends school for 32 hours a week and gymnastic training for 21 hours. That’s 53 hours a week! And, that isn’t counting homework time. “I don’t like video games and TV too much,” she said. “I like playing outside in my free time,” she noted. It’s probably a good thing given the time needed for everything else.

Jordan has a busy schedule ahead her this year. Her continued advancement (she is at Level 8 now) has led to more and more competitions. After winning 2nd Place All Around in Palmyra, PA, she went to Baltimore last December where she competed in Level 8 competition and won 3rd Place All Around. She was first on balance beam. This January she is headed to Lansing, Michigan followed by another Pennsylvania competition. In February she is scheduled to be in Landover, Maryland for the East Coast Classic Gymnastics competition and February 23rd she heads for the national in Indianapolis. After the nationals, Jordan will be headed to competition in March at Niagara Falls, New York.

Jordan Gillette doing a hand stand

Janet Gillette, Jordan’s mother, confessed she didn’t realize the time and travel it would take to compete in gymnastics. She did say the “gym is wonderful; they send information home on how to help the kids”. She works full time at a Mercedes dealership in Wexford and Jeff, Jordan’s dad, owns (with his family) Ron Gillette Towing Company in Natrona Heights. Their work schedules doesn’t permit a lot of time so Janet’s dad, Jeff Posati been overseeing Jordan’s gymnastic training. Jordan actually got started in gymnastics because of her granddad. He started babysitting her at an early age. “She was rambunctious at 2 yrs of age,” Janet said, so Granddad enrolled her the Allegheny Valley YMCA Mom & Me program. It was the beginning of her career in gymnastics.

Jordan started her training at the Allegheny Valley YMCA when she was 2 years old. She advanced in the next four years and, on the advice of a coach, moved to American Gymnastics Academy in Lower Burrell. She went from Level 5 to 6 in two years and again it was suggested she get more advanced training. That led to the Rising Star Gymnastics, Pittsburgh, where she went to Level 7. Her coach moved to E-Cel Gymnastics & Dance in Cranberry Township and Jordan went with him and now trains there at Level 8.

Jordan said the Palmyra competition “was an experience”. She wasn’t nervous while doing the competition, but she was “a little nervous about going”. “You can get hurt real easy,” she went on, but said she hasn’t been hurt. While interviewing Jordan I sensed maturity beyond her 10 years of age and a developing diplomacy in her answers. It is very clear she is passionate about her sport, a very hard worker and level headed. As to her school grades, “I have to study and work hard at it,” she said. She is looking to be at Level 9 sometime this summer. The training season is from May to November and the competitions are from November to May.