Meet Julianna! Julie is currently a labor and delivery nurse at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey. Before becoming a nurse, Julie’s passion and hard work ethic started with gymnastics.
With a rich and diverse background in athletics and leadership, Julie has navigated various roles throughout her journey. Her introduction to gymnastics took place at Northern Elite Gymnastics at an early age in elementary school and she competed until 2013, culminating in the achievement of Level 9 regional qualifier status. Simultaneously, Julie played field hockey at Roxbury High School, New Jersey, from 2006-2013. She was a center midfielder and assumed the role of team captain during her junior and senior years.
After high school, Julie continued her gymnastics career at West Chester University. Julie elevated her passion for gymnastics by founding and presiding over the University’s Club Gymnastics team from 2013-2017. As captain and primary organizer, Julie played a pivotal role in shaping the club’s success. Her involvement extended beyond the university realm, as she assumed responsibilities within the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs from 2016-2019. She served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator and was an advisor.
Julie continued to contribute her passion for gymnastics and growing the sport of gymnastics by coaching at other gymnastics clubs in different facilities throughout NJ and PA. Here she worked with athletes at all levels, from preschool to elite/olympic athletes.
Currently, Julie is a labor and delivery nurse and pursing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice to be dual certified as a women’s health nurse practitioner and a midwife. During college she started CrossFit to supplement her gymnastics practices. Even though her gymnastics career has dwindled, she is still avid Crossfitter at Fitness by the Sea, in Avon New Jersey. She continues to share her love for fitness and gymnastics to this day.
Q: What sports did you play growing up?
I started gymnastics at a young age and stuck with it for the rest of my life. Along the way I dabbled in dance, softball, track, etc. but none of those kept any particular interest for me. There was no other sport that could bring me joy, pain, and a sense of accomplishment the way that gymnastics could. When I got to middle school, I joined the field hockey team, which also became a big part of my life. Ultimately, I decided gymnastics was more important to me, and what I wanted to continue to pursue in college.
Q:Was there anything that made you hesitant about starting your sport(s)?
With gymnastics, I started so young that there was nothing I could be consciously hesitant about. As I grew older though, there were things that I would pick up on that made me hesitant to continue. For starters, I had a growth spurt in high school. At 5’5″ I’m not “tall” for an average person, but for a gymnast, I might as well be a giant. When people think “gymnast”, they think “small”. And I was not. It was a tough adjustment. Changing equipment settings, learning how to work with my body, and standing above other girls on my team were all a challenge, but it was not something that was going to keep me from pursuing my goals in the sport that I love.
Another hesitation was rooted in fear. As a whole, gymnastics is TERRIFYING. Even now just looking back at some of the skills I used to do I cannot imagine working up the courage to do them again. At any given time the smallest thing could go wrong – miss a hand placement on the beam, let go a split second early from the bar, over rotate a skill on the floor, land short on a vault – minor things that can be catastrophic. It’s easy to get in your head thinking of anything and everything that can go wrong when you’re putting your life on the line.
Going into CrossFit, I was a little hesitant because I had never done any kind of weightlifting in the past and it was all new territory. Gymnastics was always my primary workout. I did a couple days of basic skills training with one of the coaches and was genuinely surprised how easily a lot of the gymnastics skills translated into my new sport. I came hardwired with balance, flexibility, and strength already. I chose CrossFit becauseI felt like I needed a workout outside of gymnastics, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to the rec center at school. I needed structure. I like being coached and I’m a very coachable person. I like to be told what I’m doing right, what I’m doing wrong, and how I can improve. Learning something new is intimidating, but CrossFit has such a supportive and energizing environment that the hesitation evaporated almost immediately after joining.
Q: What female athletes (or any athletes) did you look up to?
Carly Patterson was my first gymnastics idol. She went to the 2004 Olympic Games when I was 9 years old and had just started competing myself and taking an interest in a more professional aspect of the sport. She was perfection in my eyes. When I was in high school, the “Fierce Five” – Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, and Kyla Ross – went to the 2012 Olympics. I have never been more invested in a sporting event. These girls were MY AGE and in the Olympics! I idolized them. After high school, I was fortunate enough to coach at a gymnastics summer camp where I worked alongside all of these athletes I spent my childhood looking up to and it was an incredible experience to get to learn from them firsthand.
Q: What is your favorite memory associated with sports?
My favorite memory came after my collegiate career had already come to an end. I continued to compete as an “alumni” athlete and attended the intercollegiate nationals in Daytona, FL. I was placed on a team with 7 other alumni athletes, most of whom I had never met until competition day. We were old, semi-retired, washed up athletes competing alongside college girls in the prime of their career. Despite the odds, we made finals. Even further, we finished first place as a team. I was overjoyed that even after all these years, I was still able to accomplish something beyond my expectations.
Q: How has playing sports helped shape your life?
Gymnastics has quite honestly made me the person that I am today. From a young age I was taught discipline and structure. I learned time management skills, balancing priorities, and perseverance. It’s helped me transition into so many different phases of my life, being the one constant in my world that was always changing. The sheer dedication it takes to have such a full commitment to something is a skill that I use in my every day life with work, school, CrossFit, and life in general.
Q: What advice would you give to young girls who are just starting off in sports?
If you love it, stick with it. There’s gonna be hard times no matter what, and there’s gonna be a million reasons to quit. But if your passion is truly rooted in the sport, it’s worth it to find a million and one reasons to stay. You will be pushed beyond your limits and you will be challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally. You will also meet some of your life long best friends, create the most incredible memories, and learn so much about yourself. It’s all worth it. “Above all, you have to love what you do. You cannot fake passion.” – Shannon Miller
Coach Rachel 