Tom Cook

On September 1, I got a call from one of my best friends, Courtney to tell me that my gymnastics coach (a second father to me growing up) was in the hospital and suffering from a number of complications. I was worried, but confident that Tom would be fine. He was always the guy that was there. He was the rock at ASG. He was ageless. So when I got the call later that evening that he had passed away I was devastated. Shocked. Just in utter disbelief. Not Tom...it couldn't be!

Earlier in the day, it had really hit me...when I knew how serious it was. I lost it...crying and crying endlessly. I cried to my mom on the phone. She would understand as she knew what I went through on a daily basis with him. Tom was someone I pretty much spent most of my childhood with! I saw him more than I did my own family. He watched me grow up. He helped me through a number of problems. He picked me up from school to take me to practice. He listened to my crazy emotional problems. He helped me through injury after injury. He believed in me. He made me confident. He cared deeply for me as a person, not just a gymnast. I loved him, like a father. So it was clear to me that I could not miss his memorial service.

Prior to making the trip Facebook actually helped a tremendous amount of people reconnect. This was what TOm did...he was the glue that held everyone together at ASG. It was a big family and this sad event, brought it all back to me..what I was a part of and it also brought everyone back together again. So it was going to be somewhat of a reunion.

I made the trip to Atlanta with Abigail in tow to attend the memorial service for Tom. The trip there with Abigail was not easy! I was very lucky to have been in first class and to have some very nice people help me. Abigail chose to spit up alot and poop (all over the place poop) right before take off. I was very happy to see my mom at the top of the escalator in Atlanta!

The few days I was there was nice, I got some good quality time in with the family and saw some great old friends of mine. The memorial service was very nice and it pretty much was a reunion. We saw faces that we had not seen in probably 10-15 years. CRAZY when the last time you saw someone they were 10 and now they are 25!

All in all it was a good trip, considering the circumstances. I will miss Tom. I had been able to see him off and on over the years as he was my friend Courtney's brother in law. It wont be the same without him. The ASG family and gymnastics community lost an amazing man and he will not ever be forgotten.