Athlete of the Week: Amanda Hubley Vaults Over the Competition

s Amanda Hubley remembers fondly her love for gymnastics at the age of 7. She quickly grew adept at the sport and had aspirations of competing in the Olympics. All that changed, however, when Hubley realized that there was more to life than just performing on the world’s biggest stage. Going to high school, making new friends, and taking an active part in her community was of paramount importance for the gymnastic standout.

Now a senior at Algonquin, Hubley competes in four events, which consist of the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor. She has remained dedicated to the team over the long haul because she wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself. For Hubley, that meant an opportunity to compete at the MIAA state meet at Shrewsbury High School on Feb 26. While it may not have the same appeal as playing in the Olympics, at least Hubley is still living out her truth. That’s all she wanted. 

Looking back at it now, do you regret your decision to quit USA gymnastics?

I knew in my heart it wasn’t what I truly wanted to spend my life doing. I wanted to do more things in life than only gymnastics. I wanted to have friends that I could hang out with on the weekends. I wanted to try other sports like track and cheerleading, and most importantly, I wanted to do well in school.

You’ve helped carry the Tomahawks to consecutive league titles. Tell us what the road has been like for your team.

Our team is unlike many high schools gymnastics teams in this state. We all are only high school gymnasts and we each play a role in helping the team to be the best team we can. Many teams in the state have one or two very good gymnasts, and rely on them to carry their team. So I may be a big part of helping my team to these league titles, but we would not have accomplished the things we did without everyone on this team. We are a deep team, and we count on everyone to do their part. This makes us the great team we are.

Not everything has gone your way during your career at Algonquin - especially, with the nagging injuries. How did you make it through those tough times? 

Working through my injuries was tough but I always knew I had an amazing team to count on. They were always there for me at the lowest points in my high school career and I would not have been able to do it without them. If I was hurt and couldn't compete, I knew there was always someone that would step up for the team because we have so many great gymnasts.

If you could pick out the top three traits to be a good gymnast, what would they be and why?

Strength - it is not only important to be physically strong but you have to be mentally strong. Gymnastics is a sport that requires everything you can put into it

Confidence - a gymnast will not achieve their goals if they don't believe in themselves. You have to truly know you can do it.

Determination - If you don't want it more than anything, then you will not do your best. With determination, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

I like to consider myself pretty athletic, but am not sure how I would fair on the beam! Got any advice?

Beam is definitely the event that requires the most athletic traits. You must not only have strength, flexibility and balance, but you need to be patient and very confident.  

When traveling for a meet, what do you keep in your gym bag?

In my gym bag you would find my grips, most likely something to eat, and definitely, Advil.

Overall, what is your take on the way scores are judged? 

Scores are judged fairly for the most part, depending on the judge. Judges not only look at the skills the gymnast is doing, but the way the gymnast is doing them.

What are your future plans?

In the future, I'm not sure if I will do gymnastics in college. I haven't decided what college I want to go to, but I know I want to be a physical therapist.