Melissa Chan, an eighth-grader at Fisher Middle School, recently won a gold medal in the vault event at the U.S. National Gymnastics Junior Championships in St. Louis. She works out at Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara.

Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Chan looks to the 2004 Olympics

By Leigh Ann Maze

A banner above Airborne Gymnastics registration counter reads, "Go Melissa Chan, Junior Vaulting Champion of the U.S., our first National Team member." Airborne is located in Santa Clara.

Chan, the 13-year-old gymnast and Los Gatos native has gone from jumping on her parents' sofas at age 3, to elite national level gymnastics.

Recently, Chan won a gold medal in the vault event at the U.S. National Gymnastics Junior Championships in St. Louis. She also came in fourth on the beam and fifth on the floor routine. She is now one of eight girls in the country on the U.S. National Team. Her gymnastics have taken her around the country, including to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Chan is scheduled to attend the prestigious National Team Training Camp in Texas at Karolyi's training camp in late September.

Melanie Ruggiero, Chan's coach since Chan was 4, is one of Airborne's four owners. she believes Chan may be chosen to represent U.S. gymnastics internationally in the very near future.

"When I was 3, my pediatrician suggested gymnastics to get my energy out," Chan said.

Ruggiero said she knew a long time ago that Chan had the potential to be an elite gymnast.

"But potential is only half of it. You also have to be dedicated and willing to make sacrifices," Ruggiero said.

So far, Chan has shown she has what it takes.

Chan practices from five to six days per week for about 5 1/2 hours at a time. Her events are the vault, bar, beam and floor.

Chan is in the eighth grade at Fisher Middle School and misses two class periods because she leaves school early for the gym. Some of the other things Chan has to sacrifice for her gymnastics is social time with her friends and being able to eat any foods she wants.

Two days per week, after practicing her gymnastics, Chan goes to Pilates, which helps the 4-foot, 11-inch, 100-pound Chan stretch and strengthen.

But it is a labor of love for Chan. "I just love gymnastics, and that's what keeps me going," Chan said.

Last year Chan made it to the National Level, but was unable to compete after dislocating and fracturing her elbow after landing a gymnastics move wrong.

Chan had to have surgery for her injury and still has a titanium screw in her elbow, although she says it doesn't ever bother her. Chan's mother, Diana Chan, said she was not sure of her daughter's path after the surgery, but Chan proved she was dedicated to the sport and returned to the gym just a few days after her surgery to stretch.

"She has struggled with injury and changes in her body for the past few years but she is at a point now where she is healthy and will probably mellow out on the growing for awhile," Ruggiero said.

Chan said her goal is to someday reach the Olympics, but Olympic rules state competitors must be at least 16 years old, so Chan must wait four more years for the 2004 games. Two-time Olympian Amy Chow is one of Chan's biggest inspirations. Chan said she also hopes to earn a college scholarship.

"Looking forward, the biggest obstacle is probably her flexibility," Ruggiero said. "But as far as strength and power, she's unbelievable."

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