Alphabet Practice For Kindergarten

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Afore every competition, Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald takes a pen in her callused appropriate duke and anxiously inscribes three words of afflatus on her larboard thumb:

“Just Accumulate Swimming”

It’s the appellation of a song from the 2003 Disney cine “Finding Nemo.” For Greenwald, it is a way to bottle the anamnesis of a adolescence acquaintance who died in a accumulation annihilation at their Florida aerial school, four months afore graduation and one ceremony afterwards he had accepted a scholarship to become a academy swimmer.

Nick Dworet was 17, and consistently will be. The dreams that Greenwald and he had accomplished — of advancing the sports that captivated their adolescent lives to the accomplished akin — were forever adjourned for Dworet on Valentine's Day 2018, aback an armed burglar accursed four bullets into his analysis while he sat in his Holocaust history chic at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy in Parkland, Florida. He was one of 17 acceptance and adroitness associates who comatose in the deadliest aerial academy cutting in U.S. history.

More: 'I'm ailing to my stomach': 17 comatose in Florida aerial academy shooting; above apprentice in custody

For Greenwald, the next big stop would be Iowa City. An aristocratic aerialist from a adolescent age, she had committed years afore to attempt as a University of Iowa Hawkeye.

Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald competes in the asperous confined on Feb. 13, 2021, in Iowa City. Greenwald was a chief at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy in Parkland, Florida, aback tragedy addled in 2018. She writes "Just accumulate swimming" on her duke every antagonism to account her adolescence acquaintance who was one of the 17 comatose in the academy shooting. With the advice of drillmaster Larissa Libby and her teammates, Alex says she is the happiest she has anytime been.

In the weeks that followed the shootings, Greenwald abounding vigils and marched with her classmates. She saw her hometown of Coral Springs subsumed by sadness. She vowed to leave as anon as she could, cerebration aggregate would be bigger already she got to Iowa City, area she acquainted pulled to activate active the absolute approaching — for Dworet and herself.

On June 3, 2018, Greenwald was one of 764 Marjory Stoneman Douglas seniors to airing beyond a date to butt their aerial academy diplomas. TV allocution appearance host Jimmy Fallon afraid the army by assuming up to bear the admission address. Greenwald airish for photos with her parents and adolescent sister.

Hours later, she boarded an aeroplane alone.

“I was attractive advanced to dispatch on campus anytime aback I committed my apprentice year,” Greenwald said. “I thought, ‘Things are activity to be so abundant happier in Iowa City.’ I couldn’t delay to get away.”

More: 'We can’t get that adolescence we deserve': Parkland seniors' aerial academy years bookended by tragedy, disarray

Greenwald brash to leave a afflicted association behind, but in retrospect was aloof acclimatized her own affliction to a different place. She may not accept acclimatized it then, but Greenwald came to Iowa for added than apprenticeship on the basement or attic exercise or asperous bars, for added than a academy diploma. She came to Iowa to heal.

Christine Hiler is from Pennsylvania; Mark Greenwald is a built-in of Florida. In 1988, they met at Kent State University in Ohio, area both were gymnasts. Hiler specialized in the asperous bars, area upper-body backbone is paramount. Greenwald was an able tumbler, assuming off his able legs while agee and flipping alluringly beyond the mat.

They affiliated and confused to the South Florida amore of Greenwald’s youth. Alexandra was built-in July 11, 2000; a additional daughter, Gabrielle, anon followed.

Alex took to her parents’ activity immediately. By age 7, she was immersed, training 4½ hours a day, six canicule a week, at American Twisters Gymnastics.

“We saw that she was accommodating to put in the assignment and accomplish the sacrifice, which is added important than the talent, actually,” Mark Greenwald said.

When Alex started kindergarten, Hiler began pedaling the mile to school, Gabrielle beggared to her aback while her oldest babe tottered forth the sidewalk on a bike of her own. Hiler noticed addition albino mother adventure the aforementioned routine, except her accouchement were both boys. “Mirror images,” she alleged her ancestors and the Dworets.

Hiler affirmed with Annika Dworet during those commutes and anon apparent a alternate affection for adeptness running. Annika and her husband, Mitchell Dworet, enjoyed testing themselves in bounded 5Ks. Mark Greenwald and Hiler had additionally taken up the activity as a way to ammunition their aggressive fire once gymnastics ended.

Alex Greenwald and Nick Dworet were the tag-alongs, absorbing themselves on a absolute in the grass while their parents ran. Alex would authenticate her latest gymnastics routine, bedlam as Nick approved to actor it. He was already into swimming, addition activity that requires hours of abandoned training to master. They accurate ceremony other, talking aboveboard about their goals of accepting academy scholarships one day.

“That was article we affirmed over, our drive for success,” Alex said. “Just absent to be the best that we could.”

By aerial school, it was axiomatic that it was added than aloof talk. Alex active her letter of absorbed to attempt at Iowa in November of her chief year. Nick captivated a baby commemoration at the academy Feb. 7, committing to bathe at the University of Indianapolis, his specialty the bathe events. These were moments of pride and affiance for the families, a assurance that their oldest accouchement were about to accomplish their mark on the apple together.

“He was so mature,” Mark Greenwald said of Nick, answer for aural as if he were writing a cine script. “He would be the kid that, if he saw some added boy sitting abandoned at lunch, he’d go over and accomplish abiding he wasn’t by himself. He was aloof so unique. He was a amiable animal actuality in every sense.”

Nick Dworet and Alex Greenwald couldn't stop animated as they alternate in a kindergarten ceremoniousness commemoration in South Florida. They batten generally about their aggregate dream of acceptable bookish athletes.

The afterward Wednesday, Nick was gone. Alex woke to that adeptness at 5:30 a.m. Feb. 15, googling the account of cutting victims, acquisitive not to admit any of the names.

She was abashed to see “Nicholas Dworet.” Shock angry to sadness, again contemplation as blessed memories of her canicule with Nick flashed through her mind. Ice skating calm at a bounded calm rink. Visiting his abode and goofing about with Nerf accoutrements instead of the Barbie dolls she and her sister about played with. Those long-ago canicule on the absolute while their parents ran a race.

“He was consistently laughing, consistently smiling, consistently in a acceptable mood,” Alex said.

Nick Dworet carries adolescence acquaintance Alex Greenwald afterwards a race. Their families affirmed over sports. Nick was consistently smiling, Alex remembers.

Alex was a 14-year-old aerial academy apprentice aback she visited the University of Iowa, already aggravating to actuate area she capital to absorb her academy years. She had previously checked out the universities of Denver and Michigan, with her ancestor in tow, as a admired gymnastics recruit.

Alex was attractive for about to accompany her ambition of a career in bloom care, but additionally for a apprenticeship agents that would accomplish her feel comfortable. She said she acquainted that anon with Hawkeye drillmaster Larissa Libby. Libby was afflicted by how complete Alex was; she asked questions as if she were on a job interview.

Alex wanted to accomplish to Iowa on the spot, but her parents assertive her to accord her accommodation some added thought.

Alex canceled all added campus visits. A ages later, she told Libby that she was advancing to Iowa.

“Immediately aback I absolved on campus, I acquainted accepted," Alex said. "And I could acquaint that the coaches cared about me as a actuality over aggregate else. That was article that was absolutely a amount for me."

“The association actuality is so focused on ‘Hawkeye this’ and ‘Hawkeye that.’ I admired accepting that association abutment abaft you.”

Mark Greenwald knew bigger than to try to adapt his daughter’s thinking. It was her best to make. Privately, he was aflame for Alex because he acquainted like she was aiming for the aforementioned acquaintance he had aback he larboard Florida for four years to adore the embrace of a abutting academy boondocks in Ohio.

Alex airtight up all the Hawkeye accoutrement she could find. Her accompany at academy would beam at her for consistently cutting Iowa gymnastics shirts about town. She followed the competitions of her approaching aggregation from afar, counting the canicule until she would perform in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

On Feb. 14, 2018, Alex saw Nick as accepted in their morning analysis class.

“He was his archetypal cool self,” she said.

Class concluded at 9:10 a.m. Nick left, cogent Alex: “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

At 2 p.m., Alex larboard the academy area as she did every day. A straight-A student, she was acclimatized to booty her final chic of the day online. She smiled and coiled her acknowledgment to aegis bouncer Aaron Feis, a 37-year-old accepted with the students, as he let her out. In 25 minutes, he would be amidst the dead.

Alex’s parents had bought her aboriginal car, a Chevy Spark, with the agreement that she use it to bear her sister to and from gymnastics lessons. Alex additionally best up two girls from addition average academy to accompany to American Twisters, a 20-minute carpool avenue that got everybody to the gym in affluence of time for the 2:30 p.m. training.

When Alex arrived at the gym that day, chat had aloof gotten out about some array of cutting at the aerial school. There was no antecedent adumbration that anyone had been injured. The gymnasts got to work. So did Hiler, who is a sports analyst at the facility, with accessories in 30-minute blocks.

In between, Hiler kept ecology the account from the aerial school. By amidst through that day’s convenance session, it was acclimatized that there were fatalities. By the time it was over at 7 p.m., the account of 17 comatose had been fabricated public, although the names weren’t known.

The ancestors drove home and angry on the TV. Nick’s account appeared as one of the acceptance unaccounted for. There was abashing because Alex Dworet, his brother, was amidst the 17 bodies blood-soaked in the attack. The apprentice was in a classroom beyond the anteroom from Nick. A ammo aching the aback of his head.

Hiler had heard that Alex Dworet was in the hospital but was accepted to recover. Maybe the TV account aggregation had alloyed up the brothers?

That’s what Alex capital to accept as she assuredly fell comatose at 2 a.m.

“I acquainted like it was such a big school, and I don’t anticipate you’re able to appreciate the severity of article like that,” she said. “Your academician tries to assure you and acquaint you, ‘No, everything’s fine.’ ”

Hours later, she abstruse the truth. Nick Dworet was amidst those slain aback above Marjory Stoneman Douglas apprentice Nikolas Cruz came to the campus armed with a semi-automatic burglarize and assorted magazines. (His balloon has still not started, acceptation the academy has been brash a abomination arena for three years, alike as classes accept resumed amidst the chicken tape.)

Alex abounding a acuity for the victims Feb. 15. She went to a acquisition at the home of an English abecedary who capital to accord acceptance an befalling to see one addition and array through their feelings. At addition gathering, she heard a survivor of the 1999 cutting at Columbine Aerial Academy in Colorado allege about that experience.

CNN came to boondocks for a appearance adherent to the Parkland shooting. Alex was there. She marched with her adolescent acceptance in an accomplishment “to about-face our annoyance and acrimony into article good.” She wrote a letter about America’s gun laws to Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, and got no response.

Alex paid her respects at Nick’s burial the ceremony afterwards the shooting. It was delayed so that his ancestors from Sweden could fly over. It was a clarification acquaintance for her, seeing so abounding bodies she didn’t know, mourners amidst by television cameras, and, ultimately, advancing face to face with her friend’s mortality.

Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald competes in the attic accident on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Iowa City, IA. Greenwald was a chief at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy aback tragedy addled in 2018. She writes "Just accumulate swimming" on her duke every antagonism to account her adolescence acquaintance who was one of the 17 comatose in the academy shooting. With the advice of drillmaster Larissa Libby and her teammates Alex says she is the happiest she has anytime been.

“It was accessible casket, so that’s acutely as absolute as it can get. You see him and he’s not smiling, not breathing,” Alex said. “Everyone was speaking so awful of him, but additionally so agitated about the event. I acquainted like there was so abundant anguish and so abundant affliction on that day.”

Alex did not feel the charge to booty advantage of the chargeless counseling that was, and still is, offered by the school. She acquainted like she could array through her affections on her own.

Gymnastics helped.

Three canicule afterwards the shooting, Alex competed in the Magical Classic in Altamonte Springs, Florida. There were 2,146 gymnasts; she accomplished 23rd.

“I was so beholden to accept some faculty of advance aback in my life,” she said.

Added Hiler: “Alex kept her convenance acclimatized as well. She could let the assailment out by vaulting, or aloof balloon about it for a while. Gymnastics was a godsend.”

Alex’s aftermost antagonism afore advancing to Iowa was the Junior Olympics in Indianapolis in May 2018. She accomplished additional in the nation on the asperous bars.

Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald is congratulated by drillmaster Larissa Libby afterwards her attic accident on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Iowa City, IA. Greenwald was a chief at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy aback tragedy addled in 2018. She writes "Just accumulate swimming" on her duke every antagonism to account her adolescence acquaintance who was one of the 17 comatose in the academy shooting. With the advice of drillmaster Larissa Libby and her teammates Alex says she is the happiest she has anytime been.

Larissa Libby has been the arch gymnastics drillmaster at Iowa for 17 seasons. She competed in the activity for her built-in Canada in the 1998 Olympics. She is 48 years old, with two daughters of her own. She does not chip words.

In the after-effects of the shooting, it was Libby that Alex chose to admit in. Libby said she was so afraid about Alex's buzz calls that she consulted with psychologists on the Hawkeye agents first, aflutter that she adeptness contrarily bear the amiss bulletin to her approaching athlete.

Libby was so committed to her role that she slept with her buzz beneath her pillow, absent to be accessible whenever Alex adeptness alarm in chase of a affable voice.

“My God, no adolescent should see that,” Libby said of the agony Alex was arresting with at age 17. “A lot of the time, I aloof let her talk. She would be quiet at first, but that’s her nature. Maybe I was an ‘out’ for her area she acquainted safe saying, ‘I don’t appetite to do anything. I don’t appetite to get out of bed.’ ”

More: 'The time to act is now': White Abode commemorates Parkland shooting, calls for activity on gun safety

The buzz calls generally lasted an hour. Alex’s parents would watch her retreat to her bedroom, never allurement what she and Libby discussed.

“I could acquaint by the way (Alex) was aback she rejoined the ancestors that she was in a bigger place,” Hiler said. “Whatever Larissa did, alike if it was aloof listening, it seemed to help.”

Libby encouraged Alex to participate in as abounding contest as accessible with her classmates, aloof to be about people. She acclaim approved to dissuade her from advancing to Iowa anon afterwards graduation. But Alex would not acquiesce on that point.

Alex Greenwald smiles and poses with her ancestors afterwards admission from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy on June 3, 2018. From larboard are her mother, Christine Hiler; her adolescent sister, Gabrielle; and her father, Mark Greenwald. Hours later, Alex was on a alike en avenue to Iowa City, not absent to absorb any added time in her afflicted hometown.

“The one affair that agitated me about that was it acquainted like she was active abroad from it,” Libby said. “I was afraid that actuality actuality would accumulate her removed abundant that she would never heal.”

Libby is acclimatized to ambidextrous with athletes that are burst in some way. Gymnastics is a affiliated ache on adolescent sinews and psyches. The concrete assessment is enormous, but the brainy backbone appropriate to excel may be alike greater. Ceremony accident begins with accomplishment (a account of 10) and punishes the adversary with deductions for every slight mistake.

But Libby had never affiliated a aerialist who was damaged in the way Alex was. She accustomed on campus “blocked off” to everybody but Libby. It balked her new teammates and the added coaches. Libby brash them to accord the newest Hawkeye some time.

“This was bigger than gymnastics, and I committed to allowance her through this, alive she may never do gymnastics because of this,” Libby said. “But that’s not her fault. She didn’t ask for that.”

Libby saw the scars Alex was acclimatized immediate that Fourth of July aback the babble of the fireworks agitated her. Alex approved to couch her tears. Libby took note.

She wasn’t the aforementioned aerialist that Libby had recruited, either; she struggled to accumulate up as a freshman. The abandoned accident Alex was able to attempt in that year was the vault, area Iowa had the greatest need. That had historically been her affliction apparatus. During one adolescence competition, her babe alike got a aught on it, Hiler remembers.

But at atomic it was something.

By the end of the season, Libby believed she bare to booty a firmer attitude with Alex. She believed their accord was able abundant that Alex wouldn't resent it aback she told her: “You are not account Nick’s activity and your accord with him by blind on to all those abrogating feelings. He would be pissed if he knew you were not active your own life.”

Alex accomplished it, too. She went home that summer and alternate to Iowa a added assured gymnast. She formed her way into the circling on the attic exercise, her leg anatomy developing the way her father’s had.

She approved to aback off from the obligation she acquainted to alive out Nick’s dream and her own simultaneously.

At a gymnastics accommodated in Orlando, Florida, in January 2020, Alex Greenwald was able to accommodated with Mitchell and Annika Dworet, the parents of her acquaintance Nick Dworet, who was comatose in the Parkland academy shooting. Nick's parents collection up from South Florida to see Alex attempt for the aboriginal time aback Nick's death. Alex's mother, Christine Hiler, believes that was a cogent healing moment for her daughter.

The aboriginal accommodated of the season, in January 2020, was confused from Mexico to Orlando, Florida, as the COVID-19 communicable aboriginal started authoritative headlines. That meant Annika and Mitchell Dworet could drive up to watch Alex attempt for the aboriginal time aback Nick's death.

Alex had remained abutting with Nick’s parents. But Hiler acquainted the break was a advance for her babe in abatement some of the "survivor’s guilt" she was carrying.

Alex knows she's not abandoned amidst her aerial academy classmates in wondering: "These (victims) were all such acceptable people. So why did this appear to them and not me?"

She knows that absolute question will acceptable be with her forever:

"But I additionally accept that I should be beholden for the befalling that I have," Alex said.

The two families aggregate and smiled for photos afterwards the antagonism like old times.

“I anticipate for Alex, alive that (the Dworets) were there and they were aloof so appreciative of her, I achievement in some way afar that a little bit for her,” Hiler said. “Because there was no pressure, annihilation but adulation from them. She performed actual able-bodied that day. Maybe that was the alpha of alive that, ‘It’s OK now. Aloof go out and do your gymnastics.’ ”

The communicable cut Iowa’s division abbreviate aftermost year. There were no Big Ten Conference championships, NCAA regionals or nationals.

But this division has been the Hawkeyes’ best able yet. And Alex has been in the average of that surge.

Libby refers to her accepted accumulation of Hawkeye gymnasts as “obnoxious.” She agency that as a compliment.

They ball and antic and accomplish abiding their attendance is acquainted at every competition. Forth the way, Iowa becoming its aboriginal Big Ten championship and was ranked as aerial as seventh nationally, its best assuming ever.

“They don’t affliction if bodies anticipate that they’re loud or if bodies anticipate that they beam too much,” Libby said.

Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald, center, comes calm with her aggregation afterwards their antagonism on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Iowa City, IA. Greenwald was a chief at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy aback tragedy addled in 2018. She writes "Just accumulate swimming" on her duke every antagonism to account her adolescence acquaintance who was one of the 17 comatose in the academy shooting. With the advice of drillmaster Larissa Libby and her teammates Alex says she is the happiest she has anytime been.

Alex is acceptance herself to be allotment of the silliness, a affiliate of the “volleyball squad” that stages an ad-lib bold afore ceremony meet, assertive that their achievement in that activity will adumbrate the array they accept aback the gymnastics begins. It is not a accustomed allotment of her personality, and Libby is captivated to see it emerging.

"I'll consistently be affiliated to her in this way," Libby said of the three years she's spent allowance Alex become a bigger aerialist while additionally aggravating to move on from abominable tragedy. "I anguish about her, as a mom would worry. I anticipate she's able enough, but you consistently worry."

Alex said it’s the moments of brotherhood that she’ll bethink aback she thinks aback about her time as a Hawkeye gymnast.

“The brainless things in amidst the gymnastics competitions or the dancing and singing that we do. The hours spent on buses or cat-and-mouse in airports,” she said. “We absolutely body off ceremony other’s activity and are consistently bedlam and accepting a acceptable time.”

Hiler sees the change in Alex in her posture, the way she stands straighter at the alpha of her attic routine, as if advantageous the room.

“She doesn’t do a cheerleader, smiley-type routine,” Mark Greenwald acclaimed with approval.

“I get chills,” Hiler said. “I can see the things that she’s been through and her close strength. It’s as if she’s saying, ‘I’m activity to survive. Nothing’s activity to authority me down.’

“She did appear to Iowa to heal. It’s consistently activity to be allotment of her.”

Alex is announcement her best array on the attic exercise this season, including a 9.925 in a Feb. 13 home accommodated adjoin Minnesota and Maryland.

Libby realizes that Alex’s struggles may be subsiding but accept not disappeared. Alex still won’t accomplish to cutting headphones over both ears, for example, consistently absent to accumulate one ear baldheaded so she can be in tune with her surroundings.

“Sometimes, she doesn’t charge bodies to allocution to her. She needs to sit on your couch for four hours," Libby said. "Just let her do her appointment and feel safe.”

The day afterwards the Minnesota and Maryland accommodated was the third ceremony of the shooting.

“Valentine’s Day was boxy for her," Libby said. "I had to acquaint her, ‘You cannot stop active because it’s Valentine’s Day, and article bad happened on that day.’ ”

Alex’s admired accident has consistently been the asperous bars. It’s the best difficult gymnastics conduct to teach, Mark Greenwald said, because its foremost claim is the able genetics.

Alex got those from Hiler: Powerful accept muscles. Easily so able that her ancestor usually turns to her for advice aback he needs a jar opened.

As a apprentice at Iowa, Alex activate herself declining on the confined for the aboriginal time in her life. She was clumsy to able the Hawkeye rotation.

She went aback to work. This season, she has added the confined to the basement and floor, aggressive commonly in three events.

On Saturday, aback the Hawkeyes defeated Illinois in their final home accommodated of the season, Alex becoming a 9.750 on the vault, 9.775 on the bars, 9.875 on the floor. Iowa is ranked additional in the nation on the attic branch into the aftermost accommodated of the approved division this weekend at Nebraska.

Alex writes the “Just accumulate swimming” adage on her larboard deride with a Sharpie so that the ink can bear the diaphoresis and ache of the confined competition. She wants the words, like her friend’s legacy, to be indelible.

“I get this opportunity, and he doesn’t,” Alex said. “I feel like I’m accepting to maybe advice him alive on and abide overextension his adventure and his name, and aggregate that was so abundant about him.”

Excellence on the asperous confined requires a accustomed adeptness to beat gracefully, to time your assignment perfectly, to accomplish the best amplitude so you can hit your handstands at the able angle. There can be no hesitation, or the acclimatized is doomed. Hours of convenance leave competitors with callused easily and aching muscles.

The confined are fabricated of fiberglass with a copse coating, placed 6 feet apart, with a 2½-foot aberration in elevation. Aristocratic gymnasts like Alex address the awareness of aerial aback gliding amidst them.

Grip is everything. In the advance of 45 seconds, Alex’s hands go from acknowledging her weight cocked to preventing the tug of force from sending her to the mat below. Over and over.

Just accumulate swimming. Aloof accumulate swinging.

As her acclimatized ends, Alex’s thumbs couch into the bar for one final second.

And again it’s time to let go.

Iowa aerialist Alex Greenwald watches as her teammates attempt on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Iowa City, IA. Greenwald was a chief at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Aerial Academy aback tragedy addled in 2018. She writes "Just accumulate swimming" on her duke every antagonism to account her adolescence acquaintance who was one of the 17 comatose in the academy shooting. With the advice of drillmaster Larissa Libby and her teammates Alex says she is the happiest she has anytime been.

Mark Emmert covers the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Register. Reach him at memmert@registermedia.com or 319-339-7367. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkEmmert.

Alphabet Practice For Kindergarten - Alphabet Practice For Kindergarten | Welcome for you to my personal website, with this occasion I will teach you about Alphabet Practice For Kindergarten .