*Madray Johnson, Kailin Chio, Kaliya Lincoln, Katelyn Jong, and Joscelyn, members of Team USA, during the 2021 Junior Pan American Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.*

“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” ~ Bear Bryant

Joscelyn Roberson, 15, knew at an early age that she was special. Like a lot of children, she started gymnastics and dance when she was 3. She accelerated quickly and when she was executing back handsprings at 3 1/2, her parents and coaches knew she had rare talent.

By age 5, Joscelyn could do backflips, and at 7, when she made a competitive gymnastics team, Tops Diamond Team, her coaches set her down for a talk. Her coaches, Lloyd and Amy White and Kory Pemberton, of North East Texas Elite Gymnastics, explained that she was a very good gymnast, but if it was something she wanted to seriously pursue, she probably needed to give up dance and spend more time in the gym. Her coaches were Team Gymnastics, but Joscelyn enjoyed Team Dance. Her parents, Jeff and Ashley Roberson, were just Team Joscelyn and let her make the decision.

*This year, Joscelyn became a member of the Women’s Artistic National Team during the Winter Cup in Indianapolis.*

At her core, Joscelyn simply loved gymnastics. “When you are in the air, it feels like flying. And I can do that anytime I want.” So, Team Gymnastics won.

But it wasn’t until last March, when she participated in the Winter Cup and made Team USA that the gravity of her talent and hard work really hit her. “It was the most amazing feeling ever,” Joscelyn says. “That had been my dream since I was little, so for it to come true was just an amazing feeling.”

This kind of achievement is not without its sacrifices. Making the national team requires an extraordinary time commitment. Joscelyn spends 30 hours a week in the gym. During the summer, she completes two workouts per day Monday through Thursday and one workout on Fridays. The coaches set her training schedule, and it adjusts during the school year. Joscelyn attends an online public school to accommodate this rigorous training schedule. Between school and practice, she spends enough hours to equal a full-time job.

*Olympian Simone Biles and Joscelyn during the 2019 U.S. Classic in St. Louis.*

This doesn’t leave a lot of time for normal teenage activities. She doesn’t get to do the traditional school stuff like prom. “But it’s worth it, because you get to do things that no one else does,” Joscelyn explains. She gets to enjoy things like national and international travel for competitions. She has already traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, this year with Team USA. As an alternate, she did not compete, but she had the opportunity to train with the team.

Travel, gym time, coaching, costumes … it all takes money. The higher the skill level, the more money it costs to maintain and succeed. “My wife, Ashley, and I both have full-time jobs, and I work a second job on the weekends to help out. We don’t take expensive vacations and try to stick to a budget as much as possible. That still doesn’t always cover all the expenses. Thankfully, Ashley’s dad, Steve, has helped us whenever necessary,” Jeff says. “We’ve always believed Joscelyn is a special talent, so we find a way to make it work.”

There are smaller sacrifices along the way, too. During competition season, Joscelyn tries to eat clean and stick to foods that will give her energy. This tends to be high protein foods, a lot of chicken and eggs. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to follow a strict diet, and she still allows herself a guilty pleasure here and there. “Anything chocolate,” she laughs.

Joscelyn tries to spend downtime with friends whenever possible. Through the summer she mostly has weekends off and likes to go to the water park, but also enjoys hanging out at home and watching Netflix. One might think that this kind of commitment would be a huge stressor for a teenage girl, but she has a solution for decompressing. She explains, “I like solving Rubik’s cubes. I can just kind of zone out on everything else and focus on solving the cube.”

And when things get tough, Joscelyn relies on her support system. “I have my whole family, my parents and two siblings. I have my gym friends. Even my town. It’s a small town, and the people have followed me since I was young.” Joscelyn’s siblings, Jami, 17, and Jack, 16, have no interest in gymnastics, but are both talented musicians. They participate in the high school band.

Right now, Joscelyn and her coaches are working on execution and upgrades for next year. Tryouts for the national team happen every six months. They are practicing new skills to bump up the difficulty for her routines. As she works through this process, she holds on to what inspires her. “All of my goals ... I want them so badly. Nothing stops me. You have to take a deep breath and remember why you are here. Breathing is the number one key in gymnastics,” Joscelyn says.

Six-year-old Joscelyn during the Metroplex Challenge, a huge college meet in Ft. Worth. As an exceptional level 4 gymnast, she was asked to perform her floor routine in front of 5,000 college gymnastics fans.

She also tries to keep a healthy perspective, knowing that younger athletes will look up to her and aspire to be like her. She takes her responsibility as a role model seriously. “I hope to be a big role model one day. As for now, I strive to be the reason people keep going into the sport, especially in the gym,” she admits. “All the little girls look up to me and want to be like me one day.”

Joscelyn advises younger athletes, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Remember to have fun. If it happens, it happens.”

Someday, Joscelyn would also love to meet her own gymnastics idol, Shawn Johnson. This isn’t as much a goal as a wish list. “I met her once. I was much younger. But I would love to meet her again now that I’m older,” she says.

*Joscelyn and her coaches, Amy and Lloyd White and Kory Pemberton, during podium training at the 2021 U.S. National Championships.*

As Joscelyn looks to the future, she has three goals: international assignments, world championships, and the Olympics, when she turns 16. Her coach, Lloyd White, thinks she can achieve her goals. “There are a lot of things that are impressive about Josc, but the thing I’m most impressed with is her tenacity. Of course, she is an exceptionally gifted athlete; however, there are a lot of very talented athletes that don’t make it to the top levels. Joscelyn has goals. Joscelyn works very hard and stays very focused to make those goals. Sure, she has bad days, but even on days where things aren’t working perfectly, she still strives to make improvements and move toward her goals.”

Team USA will send six women to Tokyo to compete in the Olympics, a four-person team and two individuals. That means six individuals out of the thousands of teenage girls and young women who compete daily will make the team. Team USA is the best of the best, the elite. While the Olympics might be an impossible dream for most, it is a very possible reality for Joscelyn.

William Shakespeare wrote, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” Joscelyn Roberson is an exceptional gymnast and a member of Team USA. She may be a 2024 Olympian.

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The Possible Dream