Olivia Hartup, a 15-year-old from San Nicolas de Ibarra, placed first in the Jalisco State Gymnastics Championship (age 15 and older, Level 7) held in Zapopan on May 3.
Hartup began competing in gymnastics in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2011 at the age of eight and worked through levels 4, 5 and 6 until her family departed for Belize, Central America, as missionaries, in June 2013.
The remoteness of Belize prevented any further training. After moving to Chapala, however, Hartup found a small gym, Greca Gimnasia Olimpia, to resume training.
The municipality of Chapala never previously had a competitive gymnast past level 6, or even an invitation to the Jalisco State Championship.
In 2017, Olivia was invited by Team Jalisco to participate in the Mexican National Tournament by virtue of her second place finish in the State Championship, Level 6. She received a 5th place in the floor exercise as Jalisco finished second to Mexico City.
With yet another year of experience, and a desire to put Chapala on the gymnastics map, Hartup’s goal is to win an individual title and push Jalisco past Mexico City for the team championship crown on May 31.