Poquoson's Caitlyn Cook Furr Goes Out On Top
Furr can look back at the career she had, the careers she helped start, and the careers that she's still assisting, and see far past any obstacles.
Photo By: Jason Norman
For about a decade now, Caitlyn Cook Furr has experienced the ups and downs of gymnastics.
There have been some downs, and not just the balance beam dismounts that make up such a tough part of her sport. That arm that was broken in two places. That ankle problem that required surgery. The elbow dislocation.
But the ups, the rising scores, the competition victories and the accolades that they've brought her, and have brought Poquoson High, far outshine the dark side. That's why Furr can look back at the career she had, the careers she helped start, and the careers that she's still assisting, and see far past any obstacles.
About four years ago, the budding high-schooler came up to her coach at Gymnastics Inc., a Hampton gym that's been kicking off gymnastic livelihoods for nearly three decades.
"I'd been coaching her since she was nine or 10," said Bob Semes. "She's really a hard worker, and coaches like that. She makes it worth all the work."
Furr was worried; she was about to start high school, and Poquoson didn't have a team. She asked Semes to help her get one rolling.
"I thought it wasn't a bad idea," he said. "I knew there were some other kids that wanted to join the team. They needed a coach, and it wouldn't be a whole lot of extra work on my part, since she was already in here for eight hours a week." Gymnastics Inc. pitched in, allowing the Islanders to practice at their facility.
Over the next few years, the team grew in number and success, and Furr was one of the leaders along the way. She took home A/AA state titles in her freshman and sophomore year, and notched second her junior year, still the highest from the area.
Perhaps that's because, for Furr, and for some of America's most successful gymnasts, the sport isn't always all about winning; Furr calls Olympic gold medalists Mary Lou Retton and Shawn Johnson two of her role models in the game.
"They both seem to have fun when they're performing," she said. "They're both hard workers, and I try to keep a good work ethic, but both are in it for the sport; it's not like a full-time job for them. They're having a good time."
Last year at the National Coaches Convention in Philadelphia (during her time away from Poquoson competition, Furr coaches Hampton Roads youth at Gymnastics Inc.), she ran into Johnson, in town to train for the Olympic trials.
"I'm sure Shawn was pretty stressed," Furr said with a laugh, "but she was nice." Johnson would go on to win a gold and silver medal in the Beijing games, then take home the title on last season's Dancing With the Stars competition. ("I called [to vote for her]!" Furr laughed.)
Getting ready to roll in her final year of high school - and, as it turned out, possibly her last year as a competitive gymnast - Furr stuck to the same routines that had worked so well up to now.
"I get ready by eating pasta," she said of her meet preparation practices. "The night before, I try to carb-load. Then I go through all my routines in my head and try to imagine myself doing them perfectly. I also do a lot of praying. As long as I do my best, I'll be happy."
Over the next few weeks and months, she had every reason to stay that way.
She consistently finished in the top 10 in her squad's meets, many of which came against schools with larger teams. She brought home another A/AA state title, and watched four of her teammates qualify for the state meet, more so than ever before in school history. At the National High School Gymnastics Association Senior Showcase in Virginia Beach over Memorial Day weekend, she took seventh on the vault, and tenth overall, giving herself an early birthday present in the bargain, as Furr turned 18 on June 2.
After so much success in one area, it might be time for Furr to look into another; as she starts college at William and Mary this fall, she'll be moving toward a different area of gymnastics.
"I've wanted to go there since I was eight, mostly because of gymnastics," she said of the Tribe school. "But now it's the academics that attract me, and I love the campus, I want to major in English and minor in business." She hopes to open her own gymnastics facility someday.
"I may do club gymnastics at W&M, but they also have the dance team to try out for," said Furr, whose GPA ranks her in the top 20 in the group that graduated from Poquoson June 13. "I haven't done that since I was little. They perform at football games." She's also experienced in the art of show choir.
So while Furr has a great deal to look forward to, she also glances backward at her old school.
"Over the years, it's really progressed, and I think they plan to keep the team," she said of Poquoson's gymnastics team. "(College) will be different. I need to make sure I keep doing things physically, but it'll be a big difference. My love for the sport kept me going."
