Pat Donahue/Times-EnterpriseGeorgia Gym Dog Sterlyn Austin gets airborne while showing the Thomasville Twisters the gymnastics ropes.

THOMASVILLE — Sterlyn Austin has the bright lights and vibe that goes with being a member of one of the top collegiate gymnastics programs. 

This week, she’s back where it all started — the bustling gymnastics room of the Butler-Mason YMCA.

Austin, a University of Georgia sophomore and a member of the acclaimed Gym Dogs program, was back in Thomasville helping with the YMCA’s Thomasville Twisters team camp. 

“I’m from Thomasville,” she said, “and being here with those who know me, who can look up to me, and it’s nice being back with them and giving them motivation to let them know that I can from little Thomasville and you can do it, too.

“I’ve been wanting to be a Georgia Gym Dog since I was these girls’ ages,” Austin said, “taking pictures with them, going to their competitions.”

Austin doesn’t come empty-handed — she brings along team posters  to give the young campers motivation and inspiration.

The Gym Dogs were two days away from their final home meet of the season when the coronavirus outbreak halted their schedule. It never resumed. 

The next meet on the schedule for the Gym Dogs was the Southeastern Conference championships in Duluth, Georgia, not far from Athens. 

“It was really hard to take in,” Austin said of the season coming to an early close. “I feel I gave it more motivation to come here and train more and get ready for next season.”

The Gym Dogs routinely fill Stegeman Coliseum for the show that is a college gymnastics meet.

“It’s amazing,” Austin said of the environment at a collegiate gymnastics meet, especially one at Stegeman. “You have strobe lights. Everybody is cheering your name. We have 10,000 fans. It’s an experience. Running through the tunnel, having everybody cheer your name, it’s amazing.”

Austin was hurt during her freshman season. As a sophomore, she competed twice in the second spot in floor exercises.

Before becoming a Gym Dog, Austin trained at Georgia Elite Gymnastics in Watkinsville, just south of Athens. She was a state champion in the all-around in 2016, also taking first in floor exercises, while at Thomas County Central. She was 12th in floor exercises at the 2018 Junior Olympics Nationals. Austin also notched a first-place in the floor at the 2018 Region 8 regionals, where she also was third in the vault. She also won the 2017 state championship in floor exercises.

“I remind them you can’t just snap your fingers and you’re there,” she said. “It takes hard work and dedication. You have to condition. You have to work. That’s what it takes to get to Georgia.”

Austin acknowledged that even she was struggling to get into condition because of pandemic’s effects on training. She passes on a  message of determination and perseverance to her young charges at the Twisters camp.

“I let them know don’t let obstacles get in your way,” she said. “Injuries — bounce back from them. Mental blocks — bounce back from them. Gymnastics is really a mental sport, so if you have a strong mental state, you can go far.”

Though the collegiate gymnastics season is still several months away, there isn’t an offseason for Austin. When she returns to the Georgia campus, she’ll have conditioning for an hour each day before practice. 

Austin’s classes are online now — she is a double major in sociology and criminal justice — but she’s eager to get back into a classroom with other students and professors. 

“I kind of got used to the online semester,” Austin said, “but I was really hoping we can go back to in-person. Learning interaction is way better person-to-person, getting to know your professors. I guess I’m going to have to keep adapting to new changes.”