For Coopersburg Girl, Olympics on the Horizon

From Bridgeway Academy:

The Olympics may be on the horizon for gymnast and U.S. Junior National Team member Elizabeth Price of Coopersburg. A solid first-place finish at the Parkettes Invitational Meet Jan. 27 – 29 in Allentown – with a perfect 10 score on the vault – propels this teenager one step closer to her Olympic aspirations and dreams of a college scholarship in the field of biomedical engineering.

Elizabeth is currently traveling to Texas for training camp on a monthly basis, where the National Team members practice together. Girls are assigned to national gymnastics meets based on their performance during training. Elizabeth, who will be turning 16 in May, hopes to compete at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships in Washington state this March.

Such a whirlwind schedule and the continuous perfection of her skills is no small accomplishment for Elizabeth, who is nicknamed “Ebee,” but this feisty teenager is no stranger to hard work and setting goals. Six days a week at the gym (40+ hours), extensive traveling, plus school work is a heavy load to carry, and quite difficult for a family to organize. So how do the Prices manage the extreme stress and responsibility of Olympic-sized dreams?

Elizabeth’s mom, Diane, has rallied her family together around Elizabeth’s tough schedule – and they are truly making it work. “After about the 6th grade, it became very stressful,” Diane explained in a recent interview. “Elizabeth was traveling quite a bit and was missing a lot of school. Trying to stay caught up became very difficult.”

A solution was found through homeschooling Elizabeth. After some initial trepidation, Diane reached out to some other families who had chosen the homeschooling option, and it all just fell into place. “I know all homeschools aren’t the same, and I wanted one that universities looked at as being really good.” The Prices chose Bridgeway Homeschool Academy, a nationally accredited and NCAA recognized homeschool academy.

Elizabeth’s two brothers, Ethan (13) and Elijah (12), attend Southern Lehigh schools and are also active in a variety of sports, such as baseball, football and lacrosse. “The boys are really proud of their sister,” says their mom. “It shows in the way they talk about her at school.”