Keira Wells of Augusta has always felt like gymnastics has come naturally to her. She has participated in gymnastics since she was three years old.

“I guess it’s always come fairly easy to me but it takes a lot of work to learn new skills and perfect them,” Wells said.

Wells spent the majority of her time from December to May practicing and competing in meets.

“We practice about 22 to 24 hours a week,” Wells said. “In the summer we up the hours of training. We practice in the mornings during summer and learn new skills.”

The hard work has certainly paid off for Wells this year as she has accomplished much and has earned significant accolades.

“It was my third time qualifying for the J.O Nationals,” Wells said. “I got a 10.0 on vault and was the back-to-back champ on vault at nationals, and I placed sixth in the all-around out of the nation for my age group.”

Outside of gymnastics, Wells is also active at the high school and community.

“I am a member of First Baptist Church in Augusta and I volunteer in children’s church there,” Wells said. “I am also a member of the National Honor Society.”

Wells hopes to attend college at a Division I University and wants to be a coach for high-level gymnasts one day.