This is the journal of
Keshira Smith

January 18
Practice was very tiring today. I feel so confident about floor and vault, but bars and beam are giving me some problems. I don't know what to do. I can't wait until we have another intersquad meet because I really want to prove that I can still be a wonderful addition to the Opilly Squad. Lately, I feel I haven't been pulling my wait. I guess I have to get back into the swing of things. Jennie's birthday was on Wednesday. I meant to tell her "Happy Birthday," but I couldn't find a spare moment. She's so sweet. I talked to a couple of my friends from back home. They're doing really well. I can't wait until I can go visit them.

January 5
Practice was great. I hit all my routines. I am really prepared for the intersquad meet. I hope that I will do well. Floor and beam are really strong for me. Vault is coming along well. Bars is still in the works! Next week is Jennie's birthday! I am going to get her present on Saturday. She is so sweet. Topopolilly is going to kick butt this year. I am looking forward to a great season. Guess what? Mom is sending me some money from Grandma and Grandad. Also, my best friend, LaTisha, is coming to visit at the end of the month. I'm so excited. I can't wait. She is so cool! I talk to her about everyhting. My brothers are coming to visit me, too. I love them so much. I wonder what they are doing back at home now!

January 2
It feels so good to be back at Topopolilly. I hope that this will be the beginning of a brand new me. Hopefully, I will continue to excell in gymnastics. I missed this gym so much. I wasn't training at all when it closed. My family is doing fine back home. I hope that they'll come visit me sometime. My sisters and my brothers are doing well. I can't wait to tell them how I am doing. Practice went very well today! I am feeling pretty good about vault and floor this season. The intersquad meet is coming up pretty soon. I can't wait to see how everyone is doing now that Topopolilly is open again. It feels great to be back home at Topo. -Keshira "Kiki" Smith

August 6
Practice was great today. I am really doing well. The Apparatus Masters meet is on Saturday. I hope that I'll do well. School starts on Thursday. I can't wait to see everybody. Well, I gotta go!
Keshira

July 14
Today was great. I had an awesome workout this morning. I feel so confident about all my routines. Topopolilly is such a wonderful gym. I love it here! Marina is so nice. I'm so glad to have her as my roommate. She is so talented. I talked to Keshia, Glenda, and Tisha today. Chris and Tisha's relationship is going very well. I'm so happy for them. I can't wait until the Topopolilly Nationals. They're coming up real soon! I hope that I will do well.
-Keshira

July 9 #2
Today I had a wonderful practice. Beam was went very well today. I think my routines need to be upgraded to fit in with the new code. I talked to Ashley today. She is doing really well at home. She might come visit later on in the year. I haven't fully decided if I want to compete gymnastics in college. I really want to though. My mind is set on going to the University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina, or the University of Tennessee. I don't know yet, though. Coach Lois helped me on a Hindorf on bars. I might add that skill into my bar routine. I'm not sure yet. I can't wait until my first meet since I've returned. I really want to see how well I can do. I am pretty sure the competition has gotten a bit stiffer, but I'll manage! Topopolilly hasn't changed a bit. It's still the best gym in the world! The Opilly squad is still great, too.
Kiki

July 9
Well, I'm back at Topopolilly. I am so excited. I can't wait to start practicing with my teammates. I missed this gym so much. I'm ready to start being the old me like I was when I first started here last year in April. I guess the time away from the gym really made my realize how much I love gymnastics. I've talked to a few of my teammates since I've come back. They are all pretty much the same. Hopefully, I will regain my gymnastics ability while I'm here and possibly get to compete in a variety of meets. Well, I have to go now!
Love,
Keshira

December 28
Christmas was great. I received a lot of presents. I am doing really well in the gym. I have been working really hard. Hopefully, I will make more effort in my training. I want to become the best gymnast ever in Topopolilly history. I am doing really well. LaTisha bought me a leathe jacket, and I bought her a shirt from Express. I am so excited about the upcoming meets. I wish that I could be apart of the Top team, but Opilly is wonderful, too. Today I talked to LaKeshia and Glenda. They are doing well. I hope that Chris will call me today. Well, I have to go!

December 21
Well, I am having a great time on the Christmas trip. I am really excited that my motivation is back and I am excelling in this sport again. I hope that Chris will come visit me for Christmas! LaTisha wants me to come home with her to visit mom and dad. I also can't wait to see how well our team will do at the upcoming competitons. I really want to be apart of a major team. I am going to hang out with Sarah later on this afternoon. I haven't talked to her in a while. I can't believe Christmas will be here in four days. I hope that this will be a most enjoyable holiday this year! Well, I have to go now!
~Keshira~

October 12
Well today is the day of our batlle of the squads meet. I am really excited about this. I hope our squad does great. My routines have been going well this month so far. I hope to continue to improve. I have talked to LaTisha and Glenda, but not for long. Well, I have to go.

September 4
Today I had a great workout. I really feel confident about my routines. I talked to LaKeshia, Glenda, and TaNeshia. We were talking about getting together this weekend with LaTisha. I can't wait. We are going to have so much fun.
Well, I have to go.
Keshira

August 8
Okay, first of all, let me tell you how my workout went: I had a good workout up until I got to floor. My tumbling is really awful. I don't know what happened. Vault, bars, and beam were great though. Moranda and I are gonna rent "Bring It On" Friday. We're inviting some of our teammates, too. This is gonna be so much fun. I called my mom to ask her when she was gonna come visit. She said that she would send me an airline ticket to come visit her and the rest of my family soon. I am not doing too well in the gym rankings, but hopefully all my practice will have come in handy next time the rankings are updated. Well, I am about to go. Keshira

August 5
Today was great. I had a wonderful practice. I hope that I will continue to improve this week on vault. The TSG Playground meet went well. Keshira

July 31

Today was absolutely great. I am really improving a lot. I went shopping yesterday to buy me some Air Force 1's. I got the high top ones. They look so good. I also bought me a Nautica outfit and a Polo outfit. I bought Carolyn some L.E.I. jeans because I wanted to buy her a gift for being so nice. I can't wait until Rush Hour 2 comes out Friday cause I have to go see it. I know that movie is gonna be so funny. I am gonna ask if anyone wants to go see it with me. Hopefully, LaTisha will be in this Friday to come, too. I was working on a new segment to my dance routine. It is coming along great. I am gonna perform it for the family reunion that is coming up at the end of August. I talked to Shantis and Glenda today. They are so crazy. I wish that they could be here with me, but I know that they will continue to be great friends. Keshira

July 26

Today was just awesome. I had a great dance workout. I also talked to Carolyn. I am really excited that I am ranked 8th in the gym. I feel confident that my ranking will continue to improve. I hope that I get to compete soon. Shawna called me. She is doing well. I put her and Kim on three-way. We talked for hours. I miss them so much. Hopefully, I will soon be able to go visit LaTisha at Marine sometime next week. Well! I'm 'bout to bounce! Keshira

July 25

Today I had an awesome workout. I did really well at the intersquad meet yesterday. I am so pleased at how I am improving on my routines each day. I talked to LaTisha today. I also talked to LaKeshia and TaNeshia. Thet are doing really well. I feel a bit heart broken cause I just found out my boyfriend has been playing me. I hope he call me so I can tell him off. The thing that makes it so bad is that he was playing me with my so-called best friend. You just don't know how much that hurt. I hope that the team that is going to the Tropical Storms meet will do well. We have a lot of great gymnasts. Well, I have to go. Keshira

July 22

I am so happy about the way I did at the "Reach for the Sky Invitational." I came in first all-around, and I also won two more golds event, I got a silver, and a fourth place finish. I was really proud of myself. I am so excited about my accomplishments. Hopefully, I will continue to rise to the top. Carolyn and I are are becoming better friends each day. She is really cool. I gotta go, but I will write again later. Keshira

July 18

Today was awesome! I am really doing well at practice. Although, I did have a dissapointing meet yesterday. I didn't even make it to the finals. I was so confident that I would. I called home today. I spoke with my mom for a while. I also talked to LaTisha. She is doing well.
~Keshira~

July 12

Today was just awesome. I had a great time at practice. I hit all my routines. I was thinking of hanging out with a couple of my buds this weekend from gym. I'll ask them what they wanna do! I talked to LaTIsha today. She said that her training at Marine is going well. I hope she's okay.
I can't wait to go visit my parents next weekend. I am gonna fly down there for two days. I hope that my room isn't junky or anything. My brother probably messed it up.
I have been really busy trying to plan a party for all the Topopolilly gymnasts. They are really doing well. I feel that they deserve a party. I'll ask some people if they wanna help plan it out! This will be so much fun.
**Keshira**

July 11, 2001

Today I had a great workout. I am really improving a lot. I messed up my journal and now all my entries were erased. But anyway, Carolyn and I went to the mall. We had a great time. I can't wait to see how I will do at the upcoming intersquad. I hope to do very well. My friend from home, Brittney is coming to visit next Monday. I can't wait. Well, I gotta go!
~Keshira~