A team player finds her own way
Freshman Olympian Umeh
contributes energy, dynamics
to the UCLA gymnastics team
By Melissa Anderson
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Luckily for the UCLA women’s gymnastics team, accidents do
happen. It was an accident that freshman gymnast Stella Umeh became
involved in the sport and evolved into one of the country’s top
college recruits. Had it not been for her mother’s lack of sense of
direction, she might never have found her way into Westwood.
At the age of six, on the way to dance lessons, Umeh and her
mother got lost and had to stop for directions  at a gym.
"Every time my mother gets behind the wheel of a car, she gets
lost," Umeh said. "While she was asking for directions, I took off
and started playing. My mom realized that (gymnastics) was a way I
could exert some energy so she signed me up a week later."
Umeh was filled not only with energy, but with talent. A native
of Ontario, Canada, she is a six-year Canadian national team member
and at age 17, she travelled to Barcelona to compete in the 1992
Olympic Games. She placed 16th in the all-around competition in
Barcelona and 15th at the ’93 World Championships.
When she began training at 6 years old, Umeh began nurturing the
ability to stay motivated and determined  qualities that few
6-year-olds even understand, much less possess.
Being able to establish those skills at such a young age has
allowed the 5-foot-2-inch Canadian to grow into the gymnast she is
today.
"I think determination and hardwork is almost inbred," Umeh
said. "At 6 years old, you don’t really know what you’re doing. You
don’t realize it until you are older and you see that you’ve
developed all these skills."
Despite all of her individual achievements, it is her team
spirit that most impresses UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos.
"She’s very much a team player," Kondos said. "She’ll be the
first person to hop off a beam to help someone with a mat.
"Even though she has all the qualities of being a star  a
superstar  she’s not above helping her teammates and being
conscientious."
That team spirit is what drove Umeh to choose UCLA over the
numerous other schools that recruited her.
"The team and the coaching staff (at UCLA) are both amazing,"
Umeh said. "We’re all working for the same goal. I’m a member of
the UCLA team  that’s what I’m here for.
"I want to do as much as I can to help the team succeed and
excel."
Dubbed "the wild child" by her sister, Umeh’s presence has added
energy as well as consistency to the already solid Bruin
lineup.
"With Stella, you see beautiful bodylines, but you think more
exciting and dynamic," Kondos said. "I had expectations of Stella
being a very dynamic and consistent competitor.
"She’s much more consistent than I expected."
Consistency in Umeh’s performances, however, is not a result of
eating, drinking and breathing gymnastics.
"I didn’t get into gymnastics because I love the sport. I’ve
always just had fun and I’m still having fun," she said. "I haven’t
really taken (gymnastics) seriously yet, and I don’t intend to. It
will get too intense and I’ll surpass where I want to be and what I
want to do."
That lack of seriousness takes nothing away from her confidence.
Despite suffering from chronic ankle problems, Umeh has proven time
and again that she will be ready when competition time rolls
around.
"I think Stella would feel comfortable going to a meet with no
workouts that week, as long as her body feels OK," Kondos said.
Umeh is not one to push herself to the point of exhaustion, but
every time she hits the mat or the beam, she knows exactly what it
is that she wants to accomplish.
"My major goal is to go out there and do what I know I’m capable
of doing," Umeh said. "I don’t do anything more than I know I am
able to do and I don’t do anything less."
Although she has no intentions of competing in the ’96 Olympics
because at age 21 she will be "too old," Umeh feels her experiences
as an athlete have helped shape her perspectives on life.
"I know what it is to work very hard for something and to
achieve it," Umeh said. "It’s given me the ability to cope in the
real world and made me a well-rounded person."