Gold medal grandma

SUN CITY – When Marie and Mike Hasanov first moved into their Sun City home roughly ten years ago, one of their first memories upon arriving at the new place was of their granddaughter Abby. She had started doing flips and summersaults in her grandparents’ freshly painted, furniture-free room.

“As soon as she walked in the door, she saw it as a [gym] floor. She was always tumbling, wherever we were,” said Marie.

At that point, Abby was only about seven years old. Today, Abby is a senior at Barrington High School and an award-winning gymnast. She set new records for Barrington, and has been to state competitions multiple times. Recently, she competed her final high school state meet, accruing three medals for the vault, floor exercises, and all-around.

While the gymnastic talent doesn’t run in the Hasanov family, Marie and Mike have been proud supporters of their granddaughter from day one.

“For Abby, I am always there to cheer her on, to encourage her, to applaud. I’m always in awe of how dedicated she is,” Marie said.

One of the primary reasons Marie and her husband decided to move to Sun City was to be close to their grandchildren and be a part of their lives. They have certainly achieved this goal. Marie takes pride in being one of Abby’s first audience members.

“She would always say, ‘This is the newest thing, Grandma. Watch me do this,’” said Marie, adding that Abby would perform nearly anywhere she could, from backyards to living rooms.

Although Marie may not have played coach to Abby athletically, the close grandmother/granddaughter duo does have a strong, shared interest in a hobby they do together: art.

“It’s something we’ll do when she comes over,” said Marie, stating that artistic creativity is a passion of her own. “We’ll do ceramics together, and we’ll paint together. It’s a part of me that I love to share with my grandchildren.”

These Hasanov hangouts are treasured time together, taking into consideration Abby’s busy gymnastics practice schedule. Abby’s gymnastics goals have not come to a close, either. According to Marie, Abby has signed with University of Illinois Chicago to continue with gymnastics for the next four years.

Clearly, Abby and her grandmother share a similar persistence.

“I never stopped doing things for myself, and here in Sun City I can still do pottery and ceramics,” she said.

Marie admits that this is a family trait.

“Abby never stops doing anything,” she said.

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