It’s hard to keep 8-year-old twin sisters Jaycee and Reagan Davis out of the gym.
Both sisters were glued to the television when the 2016 Rio Olympics came on and they took a specific interest in the gymnastic events.
From that point forward, they were hooked. Now, they practice about 16 hours a week at Northpointe Gymnastics.
“It’s pretty much like a part-time job,” their mother Krista Davis said.
During the summer, the twins can be found in the gym three days a week for five-hour workouts. They also attend optional skill camps, like the Beam Queen Bootcamp in Troutdale, Oregon.
During the June camp, the twins both received the LYLAQ Award for their enthusiasm toward the sport. One coach even described them as “firecrackers.”
Next on their radar is the Troutdale-based Dan Alch’s Camp of Champions at the end of August. Then in December, they will travel to a three-day camp hosted at a Las Vegas-based gym.
The Talent Opportunity Program (TOPS), an educational program that searches for talented gymnasts, invited the twins to participate in their organization.
“The program is for children ages 7 to 10, who have a natural ability or natural drive for gymnastics,” Krista said. “It also pushes them to a higher level once they’re 10 years old.”
The TOPS program holds tests to determine the “level” of each gymnast, based on skills like flexibility, handstand holds, leg lifts and a rope climb.
Beginning levels go from one to three, while levels four to six are more advanced. Levels seven to 10 are considered professional.
“We were told that this class is holding them back, that they need more advanced classes, so they asked the twins to join the TOPS program,” Krista said.
Because the pandemic halted gym training for the twins, they didn’t compete for a rank last year, but they will this time around. The Davis’ coach believes they’re almost to a level four.
Jaycee and Reagan both answered “everything” when asked about their favorite part of gymnastics, but they agreed a roundoff back handspring back tuck is their favorite move.
“They have their sights set on the 2032 Olympics,” Krista said. “They might be the next Jordan Chiles.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the sisters participated in private lessons. Krista and her husband also constructed a home gym that included a beam, a set of bars and a mat, so her daughters could continue practicing.
Since birth, the twins have shown resilience, their mother said.
When her daughters were born, Krista wasn’t sure if they’d make it.
Jaycee and Reagan were born prematurely at 29 weeks and 2.5 pounds. It took several months before they were ready to travel to Louisiana, where their father had a new job lined up.
“They were rock stars,” Krista said. “They’re super strong now and you’d never have known they were born prematurely.”
Krista started a small craft business to help pay for the additional gymnastic camps and gym fees. She also hopes the business will teach the twins the value of money.
“Once I saw how much the camps would cost, I wanted them to realize the investment that this is for their future,” she said.
Krista created an Etsy page called DavisDivasShop to sell mugs, glassware, jewelry holders and other items that include custom messages like “gymnastics mom.”
The twins also sell their crafts at events, like the Hockinson Saturday Market.
Krista started a Facebook page to document their gymnastics journey called the Davis Divas.
The Davis family moved to the Brush Prairie area before the pandemic started in March 2020 after living in Vancouver for several years.
“We love living out in the country,” Krista said.
