David McGiffert has worked with some of Hollywood's biggest names as the assistant director for blockbusters like "Rainman," "Tootsie," and all the "Back to the Future" movies. He gave that up, however, to help his 15-year-old daughter Natalie, a 10th grader at Malibu High School, chase her dream to compete on the U.S.National Team as a rhythmic gymnast. According to the Huffington Post, David's wife Shannon said that Natalie could never have achieved so much without him, and he agrees. "If I wasn't with her full time, she couldn't do the sport," he said.
At first, McGiffert admits, he didn't know anything about the sport or what the training entailed, He also didn't know how far Natalie wanted to take the sport. "It's a partnership of trust," he said. For those who don't know, rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that combines aspectss of gymnastics, ballet, dance, and how well an individual can manipulate objects like ribbon, rope, clubs, hoops, or a ball. The sport can be an individual endeavor, or it can be participated in as a team. Judges award points for a routine's artistic style and execution, in addition to elements like leaps, pivots, balances, and more.
Rhythmic gymnasts are eligible to compete in the Olympic Games starting on January 1 of the year they turn 16. The opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics in London begin on July 27. Though she's not yet able to compete for Olympic gold, Natalie has won many other highly-competative accolades. In February, she won the USA Rhythmic Invitational Gymnastics Competition in Colorado Springs. She's also been the western regional champion for five of the past six years.
Over the past eight years, Natalie has flown back and forth across the country and visited nations like Prague and Bulgaria to partake in competitions and training camps. Her father goes with her. In fact, just this past year, McGiffert racked up nearly 50,000 traveling with his daughter to competitions and the gym and training events. Moreover, he drives a minimum of 120 miles a day shuttling her between school, the gym and home again. Natalie's days often end around 11 pm, and her father says she gets less sleep than anyone else in the family.
In addition to the mileage, the expenses also add up. Natalie goes through approximately a pair of shoes per week, and there are coaches and costumes to pay for. "Unlike the rest of the world where the government pays for high-level rhythmic gymnastics training, in the United States it is an entirely parent-funded sport," he said.
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