Presleigh Schwartz is a very determined —and accomplished— nine-year-old.
Presleigh set a record for the Cariboo Chilcotin Gymnastics club this year, achieving a perfect 10 score in competition for her performance of a balance beam routine.
"She blows me away every day," said Tyler Schwartz, Presleigh's proud dad, who said he had to miss the record-setting gymnastics competition to look after things at home that weekend.
"I've never seen someone with so much determination and pride in what she does," he said of his daughter.
When he heard about her record-setting performance, he said it brought a tear to his eye.
"She is unbelievable," he said.
Presleigh told the Tribune the routine went well and she felt comfortable at the event, as it was her second time competing in the same Kelowna gym.
But nerves don't appear to be a big thing with Presleigh.
"I can do everything I set my mind to," she said.
But she did admit to being nervous at first when her grandma Melynda Neufeld signed her up for gymnastics four or five years ago.
"I didn't know anyone there," she said, of her initial entry into the Cariboo Chilcotin Gymnastics Association.
"Now I know everyone there," she said. Since her stellar performances this gymnastics season, she has been bumped up to a higher level of competition and she said it is much more challenging, as the routines become more technical and longer, meaning more to remember.
Presleigh said she always sets a goal for herself and her current ones include becoming an Olympian in both gymnastics and barrel racing.
Her love for both sports means a lot of practice.
"It's all gymnastics and barrel racing," said her dad.
"It's been very, very busy," he said, with about 12 hours a week of gymnastics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and days she's not at the gymnastics studio, she's riding her horse.
"She's busy, but I've never seen someone with so much determination and pride," said Schwartz.
Despite her love and dedication to gymnastics, however, she won't be travelling to the gymnastics provincials with the rest of the club, though she did earn a spot.
Instead, the nine-year-old will be saddling up to compete in barrel racing with her horse Salsa at the 2025 Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo.
"Winning doesn't really matter to me, just having fun," she said.
Catch Presleigh and Salsa in some rodeo action at the Spring Classic Indoor Rodeo at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex April 18-20.
Someone else we are pretty sure will be in the stands —grandma Melynda Neufeld.
"Presleigh is the kind of person who puts her all into everything she does. She never shies away from a challenge and she makes me very proud," said Neufeld.
"I love going and watching her practice and perform in competitions."
