SIMON ENDS GYMNASTICS CAREER WITH NO REGRETS

by Michele Boy | August 24, 2023

Stella Simon wakes each morning in her bedroom to a wall of trophies, medals, and ribbons. Fourteen All-Around Champion trophies, 193 medals, and 6 ribbons. There is more if you count participation trophies and All-Around medals. 
The Syracuse Journal has been following Stella Simon’s gymnastics accomplishments for the last few years. 
In 2013, three-year-old Stella Simon stepped onto the gymnastic mats of Wild West Athletics. From her very first practice, Stella found her spark. Steph Simon, mom, said, “Joette was the coach that night. Stella went into the class. Joette came out and said she needs to be on our mini team.”
That was it. She was hooked. Weekdays were spent driving to Lamar for practices, weekends were for meets. Stella practiced and practiced. She started winning medals, trophies, and ribbons. She rose through the years and moved up from Pre team, to Levels 1,2, and 3. Next came silver, gold, and then platinum levels. The medals, ribbons, trophies continued to add up. Stella said, “It taught me a lot of discipline and coachability.”
In July, she was set to compete in her final National competition in Orlando, Florida when an injury cut her dream short. The last ten minutes of the last practice before nationals, she decided to try one last routine. She fell off the beam and dislocated three fingers. But, Joette DuVall, owner and coach at Wild West Athletics, could not let that be Stella’s last gymnastics memory. Joette decided to treat the last practice as a mock competition for Stella to say goodbye. 
As Stella walks away from one dream to another, she has no regrets. She has set her eyes on new goals, getting more involved in Syracuse High School athletics as well as having more friendships and high school experiences. One of those goals is football. She and friend, Zoey Sweet, are the two women who went out for football this year. Her coach feels she best serves the team at Slot and Safety positions.
Simon had one year of track in junior high. Last year was her first year of high school track. She took first in the High Plains League triple jump, becoming champion of our league, as well as medaling in most of her events. 
Besides football, she is going out for powerlifting and track. 
She is also taking college classes, as well as doubling up on others pursuing accounting.
Steph Simon said, “I am glad she had the experience. I think she has gained a ton of confidence putting herself out there in front of a couple hundred people. I am proud of her and she has come out a stronger person for it.”
Simon continued, “I loved every minute. I won’t miss the drive, but we will miss going to practices. They are like family. And Stella still talks to her gymnastics friends. But it will be great to have new experiences.” 
Stella’s brother Chaz played football for Syracuse Youth Athletics Association from third through sixth grade. Their dad, Jed, and Brent Parks coached. This is his first year playing junior high football. How does her brother Chaz feel about his sister playing football? 
He is excited. She knows a lot of plays from helping her brother in SYAA. He likes teaching her and going over plays. 
But Stella’s biggest reason for playing football is she wants to be able to play with her brother her senior year.