Gymnastics has been a huge part of my life since I can remember. When I first started gymnastics, I was enrolled in recreational classes at Midwest Twisters. This is where I met Coach Bob. I first saw him from across the gym. He was throwing girls in the air in a flipping motion and catching them again. Each of the girls’ faces was filled with excitement and joy; they appeared to be having a great time. I wanted so badly for “that guy” to be my coach, and it turned out he was and would be for many years.
Coach Bob has been a huge part of my success as a gymnast. Being a gymnast in his early years, Coach Bob has been my inspiration. He has shown passion for the sport and by using stories from his experiences, he always finds a way to make me the best I can be. He is incredible at finding the perfect story to relate to my life. His stories are the perfect cheese at the end of my maze. By telling me what he did or how he overcame it, he’s helped me push through and move on.
Along with being incredibly inspiring, Coach Bob is a perfect motivator to me. Each girl is different, and he knows this. For this reason, he really listens to what his gymnasts say. He learns enough about them to understand what he has to do in order to motivate them.
As a sophomore, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a disease of my colon. Because of this, I missed almost two full seasons of gymnastics, and yet Coach Bob still found a way to make me feel like I was still part of the team. Whether it was getting random phone calls to see how I was doing, or getting cards, stuffed animals, and balloons from him, I still felt important. He even made trips to the hospital with the whole team to surprise me. These things made me realize he not only cared about me competing for his team, but also cared about my life outside of the gym.
Coach Bob Pulkowski has more passion for his team and the sport of gymnastics than I have ever seen. He truly is an inspiration for each and every person who gets to know him. I feel honored to have been coached by Coach Bob, and I am pleased to know I have someone there for me whenever I need him.