By Melissa Moore-Randall
Sabrina Visconti, 13, has been chasing her Olympic dream since she was four years old. Her journey started at Brestyan’s American Gymnastic Academy in Burlington.  “I started with Junior Olympic Level One. I am now 13 years old and training Level 10 and Elite. My training schedule during the school year is Monday through Saturday for about 29 hours a week,” said Visconti.
During the summer months she trains Monday through Friday from 8:00-1:30. Visconti credits being structured and organized as part of her success. “I have to be very structured and organized. My daily schedule consists of first making sure I eat well, and get enough sleep. I wake up, make my bed, and then get ready for gym. At the gym we have a warm up, lots of conditioning and then we train for all four events. There are days when I’m super tired and my body is sore, but I always try to work through the aches and pains. The competition season starts in November, so right now we are all training upgrades. I am hoping to be ready by the start of the season,” Visconti added.
Visconti competes in all four events that include bars, beam, floor and vault. “I don’t really have a favorite event. “I like them all. However, I love floor because I love to tumble and the music is fun. I love to vault also because it’s like you can fly. Beam has always been fun to me while bars is hard, but I love the challenge,” Visconti said.
Anyone who watches gymnasts, especially those competing in Tokyo now during the Summer Games, can see how competitive and intense the sport can be. Visconti agrees saying “Gymnastics is a tough sport mentally and physically but that is what makes it so rewarding. When you put your all into something and it pays off at a meet that is a really good feeling. However you also have to accept that it will not always be perfect, and there will be bad days and disappointing days. Learning how to deal with that and comeback stronger from it is what will make me a better gymnast.” Visconti’s short term goals will be to make Elite, which involves intense training and is what she is working towards now. Her long term goals would be to make the National Team for Team USA and earn a Division 1 scholarship. The ultimate goal would be to represent the USA at the Olympics. “I always try to work my best, just believe in myself, breathe, and tell myself what is meant to be will be.”
“Gymnastics has been such a huge part of my life and my family’s life that reaching all my goals would make all the sacrifices worth it. She noted her sacrifices as the time away from home, the nonstop traffic to get to and from the gym, the expenses, the monthly tuition, the traveling to meets, the choreography for a new floor routine, new leotards, and warm ups. It is a lot and I appreciate my parents so much and everything they do for me to be successful,” Visconti said.
Visconti added, “If you are wondering what it looks like to be an Olympic gymnast tune into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games and watch Team USA….maybe one day you will see me!†Sabrina is coached by Mihai Bresytan, who has trained Olympian gymnasts Ally Raisman and Alicia Sacromone.
Sabrina will be entering eighth grade at Rumney Marsh Academy in the fall. She is the daughter of Revere City Councillor Gerry Visconti and Danielle Visconti who is a paraprofressional at the A.C. Whelan School. Sabrina is also the sister of Gerry, Sofia, and Joseph, and granddaughter of Jim and Roberta Rose.
