As I head into my last months of rhythmic,I've been constantly impugned with questions like: "Why are you still doing gymnastics? Don't you have other things you would rather be doing?" Well, if you're asking this, you obviously don't understand me.

Every summer marks the beginning of three months of gymnastics camp, or what I affectionately term "rhythmic boot camp."

The 2008 Massachusetts State Championships pops on, and I see 13-year-old Elaine enter the carpet. Her raven black ribbon spirals to life as the music, a tango, marches on. My jaw drops.

I practice my routine with forced optimism, smiling even though I'm shaking on the inside. When I make a mistake, I push myself to continue and keep my focus on what I'm doing.

Rhythmic gymnast Julie Zetlin has overcome numerous setbacks, such as a second knee surgery last May, and has shown me stark determination and passion in their purist forms.