BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Brenham Covert is a natural gymnast and finished his first year competing winning five championships including a state championship and four district level championships.
“I was really proud of myself,” said the fourth grader from Independence Elementary. “All my hard work paid off. I was very happy and proud.”
He was competing in level four in gymnastics in six different events.
“It makes me stronger,” he said about being versatile. “It makes me learn new things and accomplish more.”
Covert participated in gymnastics when he was small but got back into it through his twin sister.

“She invited me to one of her parties and I instantly fell in love,” he said. “I asked a coach if I could join the boys team and what day and time practices were.”
“He loves it,” said his mother, Michelle. “He’s obsessed with it. He watches all the shows. He writes about it at all the writer’s workshops at school. He draws pictures of it.”
Brenham smiled and said he does have a lot of drawings all over his desk. He added he enjoys learning new skills and also meeting new kids and having fun with them. He joined GOB Gymnastics and Cheer in Ortonville and began practicing twice a week with his main coach, Garrett Frezza.
“He taught me everything I know,” Brenham said. “If I hadn’t had him in my life I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“He was really proud of Bren,” Michelle added. “He was the only boy that competes. For the pommel bars he had said they hadn’t had a boy compete in years at GOB so we put it away. For Brenham we get to pull the pommel bars back out. He was always pushing him because he loved having a boy there who loved doing it as much as he did. Brenham practices at home. Coach Garrett was always telling us to buy things. We would. He gets home from school and he does more.”
Frezza passed away in late February – right before Brenham’s biggest competition of the year.
“Brenham went into this competition with a fill-in coach for the day and no team as Brenham is the only boy representing GOB,” Michelle shared. “We said a huge prayer in the car for his coach and in he went and won first place.”
“I know he is looking down at me from heaven,” Brenham added. “He was really proud of me. He was always pushing me. When I first started, he was already teaching me advanced stuff. I wasn’t even competing yet and he taught me how to do handsprings off of vault. It was really fun.”
Brenham has his eyes on the Olympics but first is going on to the next level and finding a new coach.

  AOW, Athlete of the Week