The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts Balancing Act Author:Dominique Moceanu, Alicia Thompson Twelve-year-old Noelle Onesti has gymnastics in her blood.�Not only does she have natural ability, talent and drive, but back in Romania, her mother was also�an elite gymnast. So if there's one girl destined to come home with a gold medal at the Junior National Championships, it's Noelle.� — But traveling to and competing at the competition is ex... more »pensive, and the Onesti family is�dealing with�some major challenges.�Their home is facing foreclosure, their business isn't doing so well, and money is tighter than ever. �Knowing how much a trip to the Junior National Championships will cost, how can Noelle ask her parents to make the sacrifice?
Noelle wishes she could talk to her teammates - graceful Christina, quiet Jessie, and spunky Britt - but they're so excited for the trip that she feels like she'll let them down. �She considers reaching out to the older (and super cute)�boy at her gym, but she gets tongue-tied just being around him. And with every day that passes, it becomes less and less likely that Noelle will get a shot at competing, much less taking home a gold medal. If asked to choose between her family's happiness or her gymnastics future, of course it she'd pick her family. But will she be forced to make that choice? �« less