At just 10 years of age, Bonners Ferry resident Eva Willis has already found her passion. A dedicated and hardworking gymnast, Eva has received many awards for her performances and competitions.
Eva trains with STEP Gymnastics Training Center in Sandpoint and has been doing so for the past six years.
Her commitment and desire to succeed resulted in her being named the Idaho State Champion in 2017, winning first place in all four routines as well as all-around. Again this year, Eva repeated that accomplishment winning the state championship in bars, floor and beam, and she also placed first in all-around.
Eva, who enjoys the floor routine the most, says she would eventually like to compete in gymnastics at the collegiate level and hopes that when the time comes, she will be able to get a scholarship to do so.
In addition to working hard at training in gymnastics, Eva also excels in school and says the subject she enjoys most is art.
Training can be difficult, but Eva says that when she gets discouraged, she has found a way to overcome it. “In my mind I think, ‘Not everything goes right, but I’m always going to try my hardest,’” she said.
Eva states that the highlight of her gymnastics was when she won state in 2017, and it is preparing for the competitions that she says she enjoys most about the sport.
When asked what “life lesson” she has learned by participating in sports, she replied, “Practice and hard work pays off.”