Former Salvadorian gymnast and well-known coach Enrique Trabanino was featured in a Cincinnati-area newspaper this week, much to the delight of his new pupil Lexie Priessman.


Photo via Lexie Priessman's Twitter

 

The Journal-News wrote a glowing article about Trabanino listing his accomplishments as a gymnast representing El Salvador, describing his journey to the USA, and praising him for his passion and success as a coach.

 

Trabanino was placed in the spotlight of elite US gymnastics this June when Priessman decided to leave CGA, her long-time gymnastics home, to train with him at Perfection Gymnastics. Trabiano had previously been a coach at CGA but switched gears and opened his own gym in 2010; since then, he has sent several graduating athletes to the NCAA and has a current Hopes gymnast training with him as well. He has received positive attention from USA Gymnastics in recent years, serving as a US women’s national team coach in 2011 and presenting two sessions at the 2014 USA Gymnastics National Congress & Trade Show. He was also honored as the “Gymnast of the Century” by the President of El Salvador in 2000, just before he left his home country the following year.

 

The Journal-News article highlights another impressive aspect of Trabanino’s work, namely the fact that he focuses on developing his athletes’ character as much as their skills. According to the article, he said that “You cannot make a great athlete without having a great person. The best athletes you’re ever going to meet are those who are good as a whole. Excellent students, excellent brothers, sisters, sons, daughters.” He goes on to say that this character-development is the most important thing he does as a coach.

 

Although Lexie is currently recovering from an ankle injury, we hope to see both her and Trabanino back in action on the elite stage soon!