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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Gymnast balances many feats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Theresa Bailey McClendon read a book about tennis before she started playing the game.
When it came to gymnastics, her son did the same thing.
“He was a member of a traveling soccer team, and we were always running around,” said McClendon, a single mom. “I told him he’d have to choose one sport. He found a book, read it and said, ‘I’m into gymnastics.’ “
By most standards, Taylor McClendon got a late start in the world of gymnastics. He was 12 and lacked formal training. Yet he excelled, quickly catching the eyes of coaches at the Georgia Gymnastics Academy in Suwanee. It wasn’t long before they wanted him to join their competitive squad. He has been ranked high regionally on a few occasions, though an injury sidelined him in 2004.
But if you exhibit grit, determination and desire, anything is possible.
“You’re talking about an expensive sport,” said McClendon, an administrator at Pond & Co. “We have been some of everywhere, but there were times we weren’t able to travel. But we pressed on.”
Taylor, now 17, has succeeded on and off the high bar.
The Norcross High senior takes gifted and honors classes and maintains a 3.4 GPA. He plays the trumpet and piano. When he graduates in May, he’ll wear a special cord for logging 200-plus hours of community service the past four years.
He has received a congressional appointment to West Point from U.S. Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.). But he has chosen not to attend military school.
“I was born to be a gymnast,” said Taylor, who trains at the Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Tucker. “I am the only male gymnast in my entire school. Very rare. My favorite love of all is gymnastics.”
Well, engineering ranks high, too. Renita Santos, a civil engineer with Pond & Co., has been Taylor’s mentor for several years.
“He’s a down-to-earth, good kid. I shouldn’t say kid. He’s a young man.”
When it came time to decide what college to attend, the trick for mom and son was to find an institution with a reputable engineering school and a competitive men’s gymnastics program.
One of those schools is the University of Iowa, which awarded Taylor an academic scholarship. He was accepted into the engineering program and recently received more good news.
Two weeks ago, the McClendons flew to the university to meet Tom Dunn, the men’s gymnastics head coach.
His mother brought along a highlight reel of her son, the gymnast with only five years of experience.
Dunn liked what he saw, on film and in person.
“The most impressive aspect would be his attitude, his desire to be successful at this level,” Dunn told me. “He’s going to have to progress over the summer and train to compete here next year for the team.”
Dunn said the Hawkeyes didn’t fare well in the NCAA men’s gymnastics championships held last weekend.
Maybe Taylor can help change that one day.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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