Although Robinson offers a wide variety of sports, not every student can find their true passion within the school’s athletic offerings. Some, like Lila Bulger (’26), venture beyond the campus to pursue their own unique specialty—sometimes traveling all the way to St. Petersburg. Bulger discovered her passion at Tampa Bay Turners, a gym just over the Gandy Bridge, where she’s been training for nearly two years as a competitive gymnast.
Bulger competes in the USAG Junior Olympic program, which ranges from levels 1 to 10—where she stands at the highest tier. However, reaching Level 10 has been no easy feat.
“I have been doing gymnastics for almost 14 years, since I was 2 and a half. And because we are military, I’ve trained at six different gyms all over the country,” Bulger said.
While committing to a sport can be challenging, the initial decision to stick with one you truly enjoy is half the battle.
“When we moved to Florida and I was training at Level 3, I remember having to choose between competitive gymnastics and dance. That was the first time I made a serious decision regarding gymnastics,” Bulger said. “However, for a long time, I was just floating along, not super serious, and didn’t have any ambition of continuing into college. I actually wanted to quit for a long time in my early teens because I hated gymnastics.”
It wasn’t until she won the Level 9 Eastern Nationals that Bulger truly began to recognize her potential, sparking a newfound drive to pursue more ambitious goals, including collegiate gymnastics.
“For a long time, I didn’t think I was any good. After winning Level 9 Nationals, it gave me a lot more confidence and really pushed me to be more serious and set goals for college gymnastics,” Bulger said.
Until that time arrives, Bulger still has years of competitions and practices ahead of her. Given her demanding schedule, it’s safe to say that she’ll be kept busy every step of the way.
“We typically have 4-5 regular meets, plus 3 post-season meets that require qualification. Since we’re in the middle of meet season, I’ve had a competition every other week since January, leading up to State in March, Regionals in April, and Nationals in May,” Bulger said.
Given her intense workload, it might seem like Bulger would feel isolated during all those meets, but she makes it a point to always have familiar company around.
“I always travel with at least my mom to my meets. I don’t think I’ve ever had one when she’s not there. If it’s close enough, the rest of my family will tag along too. The only time I travel without my family for gymnastics is for camps and clinics, which we attend with my coaches,” Bulger said.
Although some would envy a lifestyle so free of school, Bulger doesn’t mind the balance she maintains, as she spends half her time in person and half online.
“I do find myself missing school for travel meets, but I have very good grades and strong relationships with my teachers, so doing makeup work isn’t ever an issue,” Bulger said. “Balancing the two is hard sometimes, but if you have focus and good time-management skills, it’s not too bad.”
Bulger’s sport may make it harder to stay connected to school, but she doesn’t mind it entirely.
“I like that gymnastics isn’t affiliated with Robinson. I think it’s important to have club sports like mine because they offer a lot more freedom and don’t have the restrictions that schools or districts can impose,” Bulger said.
