LOS ALAMITOS, CA– Los Alamitos High School senior Misha Romo is known for his amazing talent in gymnastics. Whether it is in the classroom or on the bars at SCATS Gymnastics in Huntington Beach, Romo balances his way through his final year in high school and preparations for the future.

The following Q&A has been edited and condensed. 

Q: How did you get started in gymnastics?

A: My parents signed me up for gymnastics a long time ago because I used to climb on a lot of things. I climbed on all the furniture and kitchen cabinets I could reach. I also climb any good tree I can find. Once my dad had to get the ladder to save me when I was stuck. I even went as far as climbing over the bathroom stalls in school.

Q: What is your favorite gymnastics trick?

A: One of my favorite and most satisfying skills to do is the tapestry on parallel bars.

Q: What kinds of competitions have you done?

A: My competitions are kind of scattered around. I have had competitions at Cal Berkeley, Stanford, and Las Vegas so far just this season. I also have two local competitions in the next month or so (one of them is at Soka University). Every year we have to compete at States to qualify for Regionals, then qualify for Nationals at Regionals. Last year I qualified for Nationals and placed 22nd in Junior Elite. (It’s a separate and more competitive league than the normal league.) This year I will compete in Nationals at Daytona Beach, Florida, which I’m excited about. The bigger competitions are held in giant convention centers.

Q: How does gymnastics affect your school life?

A: Gymnastics can be very exhausting and time-consuming since I practice four hours a day, six days a week. Homework after practice can be unbearable sometimes, but I managed to balance my time between gymnastics, school, and social life.

Q: What are your goals for the future?

 As far as my future, I committed to the Naval Academy for gymnastics. I was offered a recruitment trip to the Naval Academy, and I loved the environment. The team itself was fun to be around and was friendly. Everyone seemed super motivated, especially the teammates. It seems like an awesome and supportive place to be, and I’m pretty excited to be a part of the team. I will for sure work on parallel bars and still rings while I’m there. I’m not entirely sure if I will keep practicing the other events, but I will keep my mind open to them. I’m excited to go to the Naval Academy and to see how much I’ll progress in gymnastics.

Ever since he was young, Romo’s passion for gymnastics has been expanding into his future career. Staying committed to both gymnastics and academics, he balances his way through success. From the looks of Romo, he has lots of great things planned for himself.