Photo Photo by Lloyd Smith Mattie Medals at World Cup

M Attie LARSON Birth Date: 05/20/1992 H ometown: , CA Began Gymnastics In: 1995 H ow did you get involved?: I saw my older sister doing gymnastics and I wanted to do it, too. Favorite thing about Gymnastics: I love being able to do Photo by Lloyd Smith things that not many people get a chance to do. Grade: 11th (Fall ‘08)

Photo Photo by John Cheng Favorite School Subject: Film Analysis

12 USA GYmnASTICS MAY • JUNE 2009 2009 WORLD CUP Mattie Medals at World Cup ixteen-year-old competed for Mattie: I get up at 7:30 a.m. and school starts at 9:00 a.m. I’m at school for about three hours and then gymnastics the USA at the World Cup in Montreal, where practice starts at 1:00 p.m. I train until about 8:00 p.m. she won two gold medals on with an hour break. I get home, do homework and go to and exercise. Larson trains at All Olympia sleep. inS Los Angeles, Calif., and is coached by Galina Marinova USA Gymnastics: What do you like to do when you are and . Larson took seventh all-around at the not in the gym? 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was a member of the Mattie: I love to hang out with my older sister who goes 2008 Olympic Team Training Squad. to the University of Southern , which is close enough to see her when I want to. She is without a doubt USA Gymnastics caught up with Mattie to ask the coolest person I know. her a few questions! USA Gymnastics: Do you have your driver’s license? USA Gymnastics: How did it feel to win two gold medals Mattie: I have my permit. I really want to get my license at a World Cup? before my 17th birthday, which is at the end of May. Mattie: This is my first time winning medals that have the word “World” in the title, so it felt so amazing to actually USA Gymnastics: Tell us about your parents’ background win two! in acting? Mattie: My parents USED to act! I wish they would start USA Gymnastics: What is next for you? back up again but they say they will eventually! They Mattie: Right now I’m concentrating on upgrading my just really wanted to raise my sister and me the right way, routines and fixing small details here and there. I’m just not through show business. My mom (Gail) was in Ghost going to keep training and see what happens! and some other movies and my dad (Eric) did some commercials and some guest roles on TV shows back in USA Gymnastics: What is your favorite event and skill? the day. Mattie: When I go through a rough training period, my favorite event is the one that gives me the least trouble. Both of my parents decided to become actors when But, for the most part, I would say floor. My favorite skill is they were young adults. That’s actually how they met, a “shaposhnikova” on bars. It used to be my least favorite in acting class. My sister decided sort of recently that when I was learning it because I was terrified of it, but she wanted to be an actress. She was on the first season when I do it right, it’s the closest I feel to flying. of the show Baldwin Hills on BET and she recently auditioned for the latest Twilight movie, New Moon. USA Gymnastics: What are your goals for the future in gymnastics? USA Gymnastics: Is your dad involved in some way with Mattie: My goal for this year is to be a World gymnastics now? Championship team member and, as for the long term Mattie: My dad creates floor music for gymnasts. He is a future, to make the 2012 Olympic Team. genius when it comes to searching for the right music. He also does the music for UCLA’s gymnastics team. USA Gymnastics: Tell me about school. Mattie: I go to high school two days a week and I do USA Gymnastics: Do you have an interest in becoming school work at home on the other days. I’ve tried going an actress? to school full time and, being home schooled full time Mattie: I have wanted to be an actress since I knew what and I finally found a happy middle. Some semesters I take the word meant. I didn’t want to tell my parents when I classes at a community college as well. was younger because I knew they would want me to wait USA Gymnastics: Can you walk me through a typical until I was older. When I eventually told them, they said day? they knew this day would come eventually!

USA GYmnASTICS MAY • JUNE 2009 13 2009 WORLD CUP

Samantha Shapiro Shines at World Cup

Fifteen-year-old Samantha USA Gymnastics: What is your Shapiro of All Olympia Gymnastics favorite event? Center in Los Angeles won the Samantha: I don’t have a favorite gold medal on at event. I love them all for different the World Cup. Shapiro, who is reasons. coached by Galina Marinova and Artur Akopyan, is the 2008 junior USA Gymnastics: What is your Photo Photo by John Cheng national champion in both bars favorite skill? and beam and finished second all- Samantha: I really enjoy working around at the Visa Championships. on new release moves on bars. She also won bars and beam at the 2008 PAGU Individual Event Championships in Argentina. USA Gymnastics: What are your goals for the future? We caught up with Shapiro and Samantha: My immediate future asked about her experience at the goals are to get healthy and competition. continue working on upgrading my routines. I hope to do well at USA Gymnastics: How did it feel Visa Championships this summer. to win the gold medal on bars at a My ultimate goal is to compete for World Cup? the U.S. in world competitions and Samantha: It is a wonderful the 2012 Olympic Games. That feeling to be able to compete would be a dream come true. for the U.S. It is an indescribable feeling for me to stand on the USA Gymnastics: What do you podium of an international meet like to do when you are not in the as a representative of my country. gym? I feel honored and privileged to Samantha: I love to dance, hang represent the U.S. out with friends and family, go to Dodger games, listen to music, USA Gymnastics: Tell me about spend time at the beach, and go to your gold medal bar routine? the movies. Samantha: I injured my foot on the first day of training. I thought USA Gymnastics: What is your about each skill of the routine, one favorite food? Birth Date: 05/18/1993 at a time, and then when it came Samantha: Bananas! time for the dismount, I told myself Club: A ll Olympia (AOGC) to go for it and worry about my USA Gymnastics: What is your Coaches: Galina Marinova, Artur Akopyan foot later. favorite TV show? ㄰ H ometown: Los Angeles, CA Samantha: So You Think You Can 㤵 Began Gymnastics In: 1996 USA Gymnastics: What was the Dance and Friends. H ow did you get involved?: I became in- best part of the trip? 㜵 volved in gymnastics through a preschool Samantha: The best part was USA Gymnastics: What has been program when I was three years old. being in Montreal with both of my your favorite vacation? Favorite thing about Gymnastics: The club teammates, Hallie (Mossett) Samantha: Catalina Island for feeling I have flying through the air. and Mattie (Larson). It was great the 4th of July. Catalina is a little ㈵ that we were all able to have that island just off the coast of Southern S chool: Windward School 㔀 Favorite School Subject: math experience together. California.

14 USA GYmnASTICS MAY • JUNE 2009

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