Alexis Mattern

By Erica Rath

Alexis Mattern, from Harrisburg, Pa., trains at Artistic Sports Academy Plus under Barry Mattern and Ashley Miller.

As a junior in high school and 17 years old, Alexis, or Lexy, is looking ahead to college where she hopes to earn a scholarship to compete in gymnastics. One day, she hopes to manage a professional sports team.

Lexy got started with gymnastics because her parents were both involved in the sport. Her mom was a gymnast, and her dad was involved throughout high school. She is the middle of three children, with an older sister and a younger brother.

At school, Lexy likes to study English because she enjoys writing. She attends a private Catholic school and each day after school, she heads to the gym, training about 17 hours per week.

Last year, Lexy placed fourth at the Junior Olympic National Championships, which along with qualifying for the Nastia Liukin Cup, she names these as her biggest accomplishments.

Lexy took a much different road than many of her colleagues. In the seventh grade, she stopped training in gymnastics. When she started up again, she had to focus to realize what she really loved about the sport. Today, she enjoys the sport again, and credits her teammates with being encouraging and supportive. In fact, she refers to them as family since she has grown up with many of them.

Lexy enjoys her floor exercise routine and says she loves to show off her dancing skills.

Gymnastics, Lexy says, is a sport that will not just shape you as an athlete, but as a person. After returning to the sport, she says every minute in the gym is one well spent.