FIFE LAKE - Montana Timmer is a 16-year-old gymnast and equestrian. Her story with gymnastics begins at age 2. By age 3, she began taking lessons at Grand Traverse Bay Gymnastics. Quickly, the owner there realized her potential.
“You’re not technically allowed to compete until you’re 5. So I had to train with them for a little bit just to train. But it was still nice. I remember all the girls were super welcoming. And it was so cool to see like the older girls, I was like, I want to be like them one day,” Timmer recalled.
Fast forward to now, Timmer is a level 9 gymnast. Through her progression through the levels of gymnastics, she’s been a state and regional all-around champion multiple times. Her level 8 year, COVID hit, forcing her to take a two-year break.
“The last meet I competed in I won vault, bars, floor and all-around. So kind of ended on a good note, I’d say. So which was kind of unfortunate that I didn’t get to go and compete states and regionals, but I think it was good little break, and kind of made me realize what I’ve accomplished. And I was kind of thankful that I was able to do it,” she said.
Timmer trains five days a week at Grand Traverse Bay, for four hours a day, a huge commitment at just 16 years old. And gymnastics isn’t her only massive commitment.
When she was 11, she fell in love with her neighbor’s red dun quarter horse, Elvis.
The neighbor offered to be Timmer’s trainer and taught her how to barrel race. She loved the sport, and ended up leasing Elvis for a year.
Then, a very special phone call happened.
“Brooke’s like, ‘He’s kind of like your heart horse, he kind of fell in love with you.’ And so she’s like, ‘Would you be willing to maybe buy him?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, let’s do it. Let’s do that.’ My parents are like, ‘I don’t know, another big commitment,’ ” she recalled.
The next thing she knew, trees were getting plowed down in the backyard.
“[My parents] were like, yeah, we’re gonna have to, you know, take out all those trees. I’m like, ‘For what?’ They’re like, ‘A horse pasture! We bought you that horse.’ I’m like, ‘No way!’ And I was so excited, jumping up and down, went and saw him that night,” Timmer recalled.
Now, Elvis and Timmer barrel race together and compete on the Kingsley equestrian team.
She balances her commitment of having her own horse while being a level 9 gymnast by making the decision to be homeschooled.
“So I wake up in the morning, I come out here and I feed Elvis and I do all my chores around the house. And then usually going into school, it takes us like three to four hours. And so then I have to had to practice around like three because practice starts at four, and we live about 45 minutes away ... so it’s a big commitment, but it’s worth it,” Timmer said.
Luckily, Timmer has found that the two sports actually play into each other.
“Definitely think the core strength, especially when you’re riding and stuff, you don’t realize how much core strength you need to balance when you ride. And so I think that gymnastics has definitely helped me with that. And like, leg strength, too, has been a huge thing with it. And I think kind of just like dedication and being willing to like, when you need to do something, get it done, and really push through when things get hard,” she said.
Not only has she become a better athlete through her sports, but being a committed dual sport athlete has taught her a lot about life.
“Things can get hard. Things will get hard. And you’re gonna get upset and you’re gonna be sad and you’re gonna be worried, anxious, mad that you didn’t do something you wish you could have done- but to really stick with it, and if you stick with it and work hard and push through all the hard times the end result is so much more worth it than all that hurt, worry, sadness you had before,” she said.
Timmer hopes to win a buckle with Elvis soon and to continue gymnastics at the collegiate level.
“We’ll work hard and train hard. Wherever it leads me,” she said.
