Josh lawson
The year was 1989, and a small child enters a gymnasium for the first time. It might seem unimportant, but this day marked the beginning of what would become a distinguished career for gymnast Heather Zolton.
“I was about three [when I got involved with gymnastics]. It was just one of those things where your parents want to get you involved in something; just to have you do something and get your energy out,” Zolton, a senior in sports management, said.
From an early age, Zolton had a distinct personality. She was very energetic, according to her mother, Linda.
“I got Heather into it when she was three-years-old because she was so rambunctious that she needed to be involved in something,” she said.
Zolton translated this energy into focus and drive for her sport, and she has stuck with gymnastics since.
“Heather is a very determined person. She had some ups and downs with it throughout the years; but she just knows what she wants and she fights for it,” her mother said.
Zolton said that she didn’t really aim at anything in her early gymnastics career.
“When I was younger, I never really had goals,” she said. “I was just doing it to do it. Just to have fun.”
As her life progressed, Zolton said that she began to form specific goals.
“When I was in high school, I was more focused on each meet, how I played, and what that would do for me in the end, and how far I would get if I made nationals,” Zolton said. That was a big goal for me to make nationals each year as a level 10.”
Later in high school, Zolton’s coach informed her that she was good enough to receive a scholarship to be on the gymnastics team.
“After my coach talked to me and told me that I could get a scholarship, I started thinking about my actual goals,” Zolton said. “Before I was just like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is fun, taking up my time.’ But then I started thinking about my goals and where I wanted to go with it.”
Zolton took a couple of visits to campus, and was offered a scholarship to join the gymnastics team here at N.C. State, which she said she snatched up quickly.
“I didn’t want to wait around and see if I got anything else,” she said.
Zolton’s gymnastics experience changed at this point. Before, she participated in club gymnastics and she rarely competed with a team. It was always an individual competition.
“Club gymnastics were always individual. When she got to college it was a whole different aspect the way they have the team. She really, really liked that,” Linda Zolton said.
Heather has flourished with the gymnastics team. She was named to the All-EAGL second team in bars in both her freshman and sophomore year, and was named to the All-EAGL first team in the all-around as a junior. This year, as a senior, Heather is ranked sixth in the EAGL all-around rankings.
But in her last year with the team, Heather is also probably in her last year in gymnastics. She does not know if she is ready for her career to be over, she said.
“I can’t see myself just being like, ‘It’s over with,’ and not having it in my life anymore. I always think about coaching on the side, or something like that,” Heather said.
Her mother has talked to her about her future in gymnastics as well.
“She had told me once before that physically she thinks she is ready to stop, but mentally she is not so sure,” Linda said.
One thing is sure, Heather’s determination has led to a productive gymnastics career.
“I still really enjoy it to this day. It’s going to be really weird after I graduate,” she said.