Sophina DeJesus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sophina DeJesus |
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| Full name | Sophina Saadé DeJesus | ||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Soph, Sophina the Diva | ||||||||||
| Country represented |  United States |
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| Born | October 6, 1994 San Jose, California |
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| Height | 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | ||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2009 (USA) | ||||||||||
| Club | SCEGA | ||||||||||
| College team | UCLA Bruins (2013–16) |
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| Head coach(es) | Valorie Kondos Field | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Last updated on: February 15, 2016. | |||||||||||
Sophina Saadé DeJesus, born on October 6, 1994, in San Jose, California, is an amazing American gymnast and dancer. She has a mixed background, with family from Puerto Rico and African-American heritage. Sophina was once a top-level gymnast and competed for the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team from 2012 until she graduated in 2016.
Contents
Sophina DeJesus: Early Life and Gymnastics Journey
Growing Up and First Steps in Gymnastics
Sophina DeJesus was born in San Jose, California. Her parents are Geraldo 'Jerry' and Maria DeJesus. Her mother is African-American, and her father is of Puerto Rican descent.
Sophina started gymnastics when she was six years old. She began at Fallbrook Gymnastics in Fallbrook, California. In 2003, she moved to train at SCEGA in Temecula, California. There, she learned from coaches Kathy Strate, Luis Garcia, and Meredith Paulicivic.
Sophina's Early Achievements in Gymnastics
In 2005, Sophina was a Level 8 gymnast. She won both State and Regional titles for her age group. She also won many individual awards at these competitions.
The next year, in 2006, she moved up to Level 9. She placed fifth in the all-around at States and third at Regionals. Because of her strong performance at Regionals, she went to the Level 9 Western Championships. This event was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She tied for fourth place in the all-around there.
Moving Up and Becoming an Elite Gymnast
After the 2006 season, Sophina trained at SCATS Diamond Elite Gymnastics. In 2007, she became a Level 10 gymnast and won the State championship. She performed well at Regionals but did not advance to Nationals that year.
She then moved to Precision Gymnastics. In July 2007, Sophina competed in the National Elite Qualifier. She was in the Junior Elite Optional category for gymnasts aged 11-13. She qualified for the U.S. Challenge and finished second in the all-around. She even placed ahead of Alexandra Raisman, who later became an Olympian.
Sophina's Elite Gymnastics Career
In March 2008, Sophina won the all-around title at the Heart of a Champion Invitational. She then earned Junior International Elite status. She competed at the 2008 U.S. Classic in Houston, Texas. Later that year, she placed fourteenth in the all-around at the U.S. National Championships.
In 2009, Sophina competed at the American Classic. She placed third on the uneven bars and fifth in the all-around. This allowed her to compete at the U.S. Nationals again. There, she placed ninth in the all-around and on beam, and fourth on bars.
Sophina was then chosen for the Junior National Team. She represented the U.S. at the Junior Japan International. At this event, she won a gold medal on the floor exercise. She also finished fourth in the all-around.
In 2010, Sophina became a senior gymnast. By 2012, she returned to Level 10. She won the uneven bars title at the SCECGA California Classic.
Sophina's College Gymnastics Journey
Competing for the UCLA Bruins
In 2013, Sophina began her college gymnastics career. She joined the UCLA Bruins gymnastics program. During her time in college, she was recognized three times as an All-American on the uneven bars. This is a big honor for college athletes.
Viral Floor Routine and TV Appearances
In 2016, Sophina's floor routine became very popular online. Many people watched it on social media. Because her routine was so famous, Sophina performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the second time in February 2016.
Sophina's Other Talents and Activities
Dancing and Performing
Sophina was also a member of a hip hop group called Mix 5. She competed with this group in the World Hip Hop International competitions in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, she was in an advertising campaign for Go-Gurt yogurt.
In 2006, Sophina and her sister, Savannah, were cast in the Discovery Kids show Hip Hop Harry. She appeared in several episodes of the show. That same year, she was chosen to perform in Debbie Allen's Bayou Legend. This show took place at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Sophina has also appeared on other TV shows. These include The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and Maury.
High School and Choreography
Sophina attended Temecula Valley High School from 2009 until she graduated in 2012. While in high school, she used her dance skills. She choreographed routines for both the varsity and junior varsity dance teams at her school.
