The next gym class started with a team meeting. The girls sat on the floor while Michael stood with his hands on his hips.

In many ways nothing had changed. Michael still frowned and yelled. Fiona still looked scared. Naomi prodded a blister on her hand and didn’t seem to listen. But for Gemma, everything had changed.

When Michael yelled, she didn’t feel scared or angry anymore. She felt like a real gymnast with a big competition ahead. The state finals were important. They were important enough to yell about.

After the talk, the team started on beam. Michael took Gemma aside.

‘Go, Gem,’ Kathy whispered. Then she walked to the high beam.

Gemma had phoned Kathy after the last gym class. The girls had giggled and chatted for an hour about the talk in Michael’s office.

Gemma called out, ‘Thanks, Kathy.’ She was excited and a bit scared about doing her change-leap on the beam.

She showed Michael a change-leap on the floor near the low beam. She did a good leap but still wobbled.

Michael shook his head. ‘You’re leaping like you do on floor,’ he said gruffly. ‘You don’t have to leap so high. Just keep your shoulders straight.’ Then he walked away.

Gemma tried again. She kept her shoulders straight – run, run, change-leap, land.

She didn’t leap so high, but she landed a bit better. How strange. She’d been trying to leap higher, but that was the wrong thing to do.

Gemma smiled to herself. He was loud. He was gruff. But Michael was a really good coach.

Gemma kept practising the leap during gym until Michael called her to work on her other routines. At home, Gemma practised wherever she could.

For the whole week and a half, Gemma worked on the leap. If she wasn’t eating, sleeping or at school, she was practising the leap.

Finally, just in time for the Friday class, Gemma could land the change-leap on the low beam. She felt solid and safe.

But Michael still wouldn’t let her do it on the high beam.

‘Please, Michael,’ Gemma asked as the team walked to the high beam. ‘I know I can do it.’ If she didn’t do the leap on the high beam today, she couldn’t do it in the state finals.

Michael looked at Gemma.

‘It’s close … ’ Michael said quietly.

‘Come on, Michael,’ Naomi said. The whole team knew about Gemma’s new leap. ‘It’s only a leap.’

‘It’s a very dangerous leap,’ Michael said, frowning. ‘But OK. Let’s see it on the high beam, Gemma.’

Gemma climbed up and stood at the end of the high beam. It always felt a lot higher when she was up there. She could feel the narrow bar of wood under her feet and her heart pumping in her chest. If she didn’t land this, she could really hurt herself.

She wiped her hands on her legs.

Run, run … shoulders straight … change-leap … land.

That was it. Gemma landed squarely on the high beam. She didn’t even wobble a bit.

The other girls clapped and smiled. Michael nodded his head. Gemma jumped off the high beam, grinning.

This was brilliant. Gemma used to be the worst gymnast. But not anymore. Now she was going to do a change-leap on beam It was the day of the state finals!