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Gymnast Shae Malham going to regionals for NC

By Jon Therrien
NL Staff Writer

7 May 2008 — “Why would anyone walk anywhere, if you can flip,” Shae Malham, 7, of Princeton said.

Shae, the daughter of Christy and Ryan Malham of Princeton, will represent the state of North Carolina in gymnastic Regionals at Tupelo, MS. on the weekend of May 10 and 11.

Shae is the granddaughter of Col. Randy Hinton and his wife Peggy Hinton and the great granddaughter of Rayonell Rose.

Shae is a student at Princeton School.

The Regionals will feature gymnasts from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Christy Malham said that it was how well her daughter did in the state tournament that qualified her to represent North Carolina at regionals. She added that her daughter will be representing the state with other gymnasts from the state.

Ms. Malham said her daughter is a class-level rookie and added that this is the first year the rookie level will be allowed to compete in the regionals. Rookie-level competitors do not compete in the nationals.

Ms. Malham said her daughter is ranked fourth in the state in her age group.

Shae, according to her mother, spends four days, a total of nine hours a week, in the gym.

It was when she was three that Shae began gymnastics. Ms. Malham said her daughter was dancing and taking gymnastics at the same time and she asked her daughter which one she wanted to do.

Shae said she has also played soccer, basketball and baseball.

Shae has also started a writing club at Princeton School. She said she likes writing about butterflies.

Just like other sports have a season, the gymnastic season began for Shae in November and will be over after the regionals.

Though she currently practices nine hours a week, this summer she will begin practicing 12 hours a week.

Shae said she is currently working on a new dismount that involves a handstand and a twist over.

Shae’s routine is to “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” from the movie “Lilo and Stitch.”

When she is not in the gym, Shae is practicing at home. Ms. Malham said her family cannot have a meal at the dinner table without Shae interrupting it to show her family something she is working on or learning.

“She is constantly doing her floor routine,” Ms. Malham said.

Shae, her mother said, has a balance beam at home that she practices on.

Christy and Ryan Malham also have a 12-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, and a two-year old daughter, Jillian.

Shae said she is teaching her younger sister how to do gymnastics. She added that Jillian wears her leotards and can walk on the beam.

Shae has been in seven meets this year and has placed first or second in most of them. She said that there was one meet that she didn’t do her best and afterwards she said, “I didn’t like the way that felt.”

The following meet, Ms. Malham said, Shae took first place in every event.

In addition to working at home and in the gym, Shae will also train at United States gymnast Bella Corrolla’s camp in Houston in June.

Ms. Malham said her daughter has made friends through gymnastics, including Morgan from Apex. She added that the two met through the website, YouTube, because she was interested in seeing some other gymnasts who had performed at a meet she attended.

Shae said her favorite gymnast is Mary Lou Retton.

Ms. Malham expressed thanks to Johnston County OBGYN who donated $500 for Shae to attend the regionals. She added that regionals costs $1,000.

Shae said tumbling is her favorite activity in gymnastics.

“I don’t think there would be anything that would prevent me from doing gymnastics.”

“I’ll still be doing forward rolls when I am 90.”

She added, “Even in heaven.”

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