Kelsey, a 21-year old senior at Virginia Tech, trained in gymnastics for 11 years. Because of gymnastics, she was always the strongest girl, and sometimes the strongest child, in her physical education classes. But at age 13, Kelsey developed vertigo, which causes dizziness and unbalance, and decided to quit gymnastics after a frustrating year with the disorder.
 
Kelsey’s gymnastics training, however, enabled her to walk onto her high school volleyball and soccer teams. She maintained her discipline and desire to stay fit, and began lifting weights when she was 16 years old. Two years later, she entered her first competition as a natural bodybuilder. Kelsey incorporates flexibility and acrobatics into her individual routines, which nearly always earn her the award for the show’s best poser. She recently won a competition that qualified her to compete as a professional natural bodybuilder. Without her gymnastics background, Kelsey doubts she would have been capable of achieving success as an athlete.