Though recently spotlighted on a world stage as an award-winning tumbler, Amy McDonald puts first things first in her life.
The 25-year-old athlete was a member of the silver medal-winning women's tumbling team at the World Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, in November. (Tumbling is a sport where the athlete executes a number of flips, twists and other gymnastics maneuvers down a 120-foot-long by 4-foot-wide runway.)
It was her third trip to the world championships as a member of the U.S. team and her third medal. She was part of the silver medal-winning team in 2005 and an alternate on the gold-medal team in 2007.
But that is only one side of the member of the Allen 7th (Young Single Adult) Branch, Allen Texas Stake. Branch President Kelly Taylor is more impressed by her testimony and commitment to the Church. She is a "great leader" and a "stalwart disciple of Christ," he said in an e-mail to the Church News.
He offered an example of her commitment:
"It so happens that the National Tumbling & Trampoline Gymnastic Championships were in Dallas this year, and Amy was competing there and attempting to requalify for the national team that would go to Russia for the World Championships. Her family from Utah was in town to support her and be with her at this important time. We had branch temple night in the middle of championship week, and I did not expect to see Amy at the temple that night since she was at the competition venue each day supporting, training, coaching and encouraging other athletes as well as preparing for her own competition. (She finished third.) But when temple night came, there she was with the rest of the branch putting the Lord's business first. And she was as cheerful as ever."
Asked about that in a telephone interview with the Church News, Amy said, "If you do the Lord's work first, everything else falls into place."
That devotion was instilled in her as she grew up a member of the Church in Brigham City, Utah. The daughter of William and Pamela McDonald, she started tumbling at age 3 as an outlet for "a rambunctious child," she said.
To advance further in her sport, she moved to Houston, Texas, at age 20. A big part of surviving the move and leaving her family was finding the Church there through the Church's Web site. Later, she felt she could do better at a gym in Dallas where she again quickly located the Church.
Of the members, she said, "They are amazing out here and strong in the gospel."
She eagerly welcomes Sunday each week so she can attend Church with her friends. She is branch activities committee chairman and is grateful for the involvement even though it demands more of the time she is already splitting between attending Collin College in pursuit of a teaching degree, training and working at her club, Eagle Wings Athletics, where she has been offered the position of gym tumbling director.
One of the U.S. coaches at the world championships, Lisa Gandy, gave some insight into Amy's character, calling her "a delightful young lady."
She said, "[Amy] did an amazing thing at World's."
Because only three members of the four-member team can compete in the finals, the team had a mock meet to select the finals team. Mrs. Gandy said one of the team members who consistently does very well with higher-difficulty, and thus higher-scoring passes, struggled in the mock meet. Her results would have eliminated her from the finals competition.
"She had higher difficulty than Amy," Mrs. Gandy continued, "so Amy felt it was best for the team to give up her spot to this girl. …
"Amy wanted so much to participate in the competition of team finals. She cried a bit, but she did what she thought was the best for the team. No one had to ask her to do this. I commended her for her actions and told her that in my book she had a gold medal as a person, which is much more important in life. Most people would have taken their opportunity to compete. Her actions were so impressive. We were all so happy she won a silver medal. (All four team members stood on the awards platform and received a medal.) Of anyone there, she deserved it the most in our book."
Reflecting back, Amy said she knew one team member would have to sit out the finals. She said her prayers about it were answered. She had been voted team leader by her teammates and felt inspired that she should lead from the sidelines. She said she is able to make such decisions because she has confidence that Heavenly Father is directing her path through life.
"The girls did exactly what I thought they would," she said of their silver-medal-winning effort, adding that she didn't doubt her own ability, but felt her action would draw them closer as a team and help them perform better.
With a successful tumbling career behind her, she is looking ahead now to teaching and coaching.
She said she has achieved every goal she set for herself in power tumbling and topped those goals off with her several medals in national and international competition.
President Taylor said, "Amy has such a happy personality, and it is always a treat for us to see her at branch meetings and activities. You don't have to be around her very long before you are feeling good, too. The teachings of the gospel are foundational to the way she approaches life. This is surely the source of her happiness and positive outlook. Amy is going to be a great coach at the gym where she is employed now that she is retiring from competition."
Amy concluded, "The Church is everything to me. It helps keep me grounded."
