USA Gymnastics Championships in Milwaukee 'special' for Nicole Ahsinger and family

Alec Lewis
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Nicole Ahsinger poses with her dad, Steve Ahsinger (left), friend and teammate Alexi Shostak (second from left) and mom, Michelle Taylor (right) at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Steve Ahsinger wasn’t going to tell his daughter no, there was just no way. It was he who suggested the two enter the gymnastics facility after all. So the question that came was inevitable.

“Can I try, daddy?” the then-3-year-old Nicole asked in Poway, Calif.

After watching others run and jump as they practiced their gymnastics, she couldn’t resist. In response, neither could Steve.

“Yeah!” he said, even though he knew that his wife, Michelle Taylor, would want him to answer otherwise. But Michelle wasn’t with them that day, the day that spurred an Olympic dream achieved last summer by the 19-year-old.

At times, the dream has made life difficult. At others, it’s taken Nicole to places she’s longed to go. On Tuesday, she’ll arrive in Milwaukee, hometown to both of her parents' families and this week the site of the USA Gymnastics Championships.

“It’s going to be very special,” Steve said.

Nicole Ahsinger will compete in the trampoline and tumbling category at the event Tuesday through Sunday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center and the Wisconsin Center. Gymnasts will also participate in acrobatic and rhythmic competitions.

Growing up, Michelle practiced gymnastics but suffered from loose joints because of all the jumping and flipping, so she didn’t want the same for her daughter. Because Nicole struggled playing sports due to lack of coordination, though, Steve did want Nicole to participate in gymnastics. 

As it turns out, Nicole's lack of coordination was due to eyesight issues that glasses fixed.

And in gymnastics, Nicole had found her calling.

“She just took to it so fast,” Michelle said.

Nicole Ahsinger competes in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Nicole gravitated to the trampoline because, well, she was good at it. Not to mention, she relished the opportunity to fly.

“I’m an adrenaline seeker, so I think that’s why I like jumping 20 or 30 feet in the air,” Nicole said. “It’s super fun.”

The journey hasn't always been easy.

Moving from a public high school to a charter school after her sophomore year separated her from her friends and was hard.

So, too, was moving by herself from her home in California to Louisiana at age 16 to train with legendary gymnastics coach Dmitri Poliaroush and others at the Trampoline and Tumbling Express training facility, which has bred many Olympians.

Michelle said the day Nicole left home was the hardest of her life. It was hard for Steve, too.

“I missed having my daughter sit and watch television after dinner or talk about certain things,” Steve said. “I am so thankful for Facetime, it’s unbelievable.”

Nicole, now a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, is thankful for it, too. She's also appreciative of what her life's become.

“I always say to myself, I wish I could have done this instead, but if I didn’t have gymnastics, I don’t think I’d be the person I am today because it is basically my entire life,” Nicole said. “And when I look back at it, I realize that I’m the one that got to travel everywhere. I’m the one that got to go to the Olympics.”

That's right.

Last summer, Nicole competed in Rio de Janeiro. She did not medal, but the experience was one she hopes to use to her advantage in Tokyo in the 2020 Olympics. 

It was also one Michelle and Steve won’t ever forget.

Nor will they forget this trip to Milwaukee, Steve said. Not only does he get to watch her in his home state, but he also gets to drive to Green Bay to catch up with relatives for the first time in more than 20 years.

“Let’s put it this way: I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Steve said. "This is the perfect opportunity.”

For detailed schedule information visit www.usagymchamps.com/schedule