Waterford High School is home to numerous student-athletes who work hard to not only sharpen their skills on the field, but also in the classroom. Although many students play school-associated sports, others choose to participate in activities outside of school. One Waterford High School senior, Maddy Dorunda, is a prime example of a student who takes part in these activities. Dorunda, team captain of her gymnastics team, is a high honors student who lives a busy life. Since she was three years old, Dorunda has spent four hours practicing each day in her second home, John’s Academy of Gymnastics.  After graduating, Dorunda plans to continue her career in gymnastics with Temple University. 

• What made you want to continue gymnastics in high school?

“My love for the sport was my main motivation. I couldn’t imagine continuing to high school without staying in gymnastics.”

• What’s your schedule like?

“I go to school, drive 50 minutes to the gym, go to practice for four hours, then drive 50 minutes back home. I follow this schedule five days a week. Every other weekend, we have a four hour meet. After I get home from practice, it’s eight oclock and I do my homework then. After I finish my assignments, I go to bed and repeat for the next day.”

• What does a typical meet look like for you? 

“At meets, we do a team warm up on the floor, then we go to each event and warm up with our given amount of time to do so. After warmups, it’s time to compete. Each gymnast gets one chance to perform their routine on each event without falling.”

• How would you describe gymnastics to someone who knows nothing about the sport?

“I would describe this sport as physically and mentally challenging, but most of all, rewarding. You have four different events: vault, bars, beam, and floor. There are judges on each event that give you a score on a 0-10 scale. There are ten levels in gymnastics, and for each level there are specific requirements for each routine that need to be met.”

• What advice would you give others looking to pursue gymnastics in high school?

“Honestly, my best advice would be to never lose focus on your school work getting caught up in gymnastics. If you want advice for what gym you should train at, my answer would be JAG, of course, but I mean it. JAG has the most supportive coaches I’ve ever worked with. The coaches truly know exactly how to train each kid and help them reach their fullest potential.”

• What are your future plans with Temple?

“My plan is to compete all around, which means every event. At Temple, I would love to be able to help support my team to reach their goals in gymnastics. I am excited to work with Temple’s gymnastics team while fulfilling my academic goals in the process.” 

Dorunda has passion for gymnastics and tremendous talent in the gym. Recently, she accomplished a score of 37.1 all around, Dorunda’s personal best for all four events.  Despite being offered full rides from George Washington, Utah State, and Temple University, Dorunda decided to further her education at Temple the summer before junior year. There’s no doubt that she will continue to shine in the gym and in her academics, leading her to achieve great success in her future.