Speaker 1: Welcome in everyone to Lively Lewis Stories. That's right, We're
Speaker 1: back with even more awesome adventures with Levi and Ivy.
Speaker 1: Set your storytime meter too fun and get ready to
Speaker 1: join the Lively Lewis crew. All you need is your
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Speaker 1: show notes. Enough about that, let's get too today's super
Speaker 1: Live Way Lewis story. The year was twenty twenty eight,
Speaker 1: and the Olympic Games were the talk of the town
Speaker 1: where Levi and Ivy lived. This was for all the
Speaker 1: usual reasons, like marveling over which elite athletes from around
Speaker 1: the globe would wow the world with their amazing skills.
Speaker 1: But this year, in particular, there was a new piece
Speaker 1: of Olympic news that had everyone talking, especially kids. Did
Speaker 1: you hear what the International Olympic Committee just decided? Asked
Speaker 1: one of Levi's friends, and he sprinted over to the
Speaker 1: basketball court where Levi was practicing his foul shots. I didn't,
Speaker 1: answered LEVI, what's going on. They just said that they
Speaker 1: were opening up the Olympics, Yes, the actual Olympics to
Speaker 1: kids sixteen and under, answered Levi's friend. They're calling it
Speaker 1: Junior Olympics, and if you want to try out, you've
Speaker 1: got about a year to practice. Levi I couldn't believe
Speaker 1: it. It had been his dream for as long as he
Speaker 1: could remember to participate in the Olympics. One day. He
Speaker 1: thought he would have to wait for years and years,
Speaker 1: But now, all of a sudden, the chance to compete
Speaker 1: against the best young athletes in the world was right
Speaker 1: in front of him. There's a basketball team and they'll
Speaker 1: be holding tryouts as they get closer to the start
Speaker 1: of the next Olympic games, said Levi's friend. You're gonna
Speaker 1: try out, right, You're the best basketball player in town. Levi.
Speaker 1: I couldn't answer fast enough. Of course I am. But
Speaker 1: if I'm gonna have any show of making the team,
Speaker 1: I need to get back to my foul shots and
Speaker 1: make my layups and my three pointers. Levi practiced all
Speaker 1: afternoon with the visions of competing in the Junior Olympics
Speaker 1: rushing through his head. When he got home for lunch,
Speaker 1: Ivy was doing cartwheels in the front yard, and for
Speaker 1: someone who didn't have any formal training at gymnastics, she
Speaker 1: was incredible. She's got great natural ability. Levi and Ivey's
Speaker 1: mom would say, if she just worked with a coach,
Speaker 1: she could be unstoppable. But Ivy wasn't very competitive. Graceful,
Speaker 1: elegant on her feet, but not competitive. However, something happened
Speaker 1: when Levi told her about the Junior Olympics. That's because
Speaker 1: Ivy loved the Olympics almost as much as Levi. All
Speaker 1: the grand ceremonies, the focus on the excellence in your sport,
Speaker 1: the teamwork, and the feeling of pride and representing your
Speaker 1: country in front of the whole world was definitely something
Speaker 1: Ivy could get behind. And it didn't hurt that Levi
Speaker 1: was interested in trying out to be a part of
Speaker 1: it all. Wow, do you really think I have a chance?
Speaker 1: Asked Ivy to Levi. I definitely think you could if
Speaker 1: you started taking gymnastics up a bit more seriously, joined
Speaker 1: the jam and worked with a coach, answered Levi, trying
Speaker 1: to be encouraging. It takes a lot of hard work
Speaker 1: to make it to the Olympics. Look at me. I've
Speaker 1: been playing basketball forever and I know I have to
Speaker 1: work extra extra hard before I can even think of
Speaker 1: going to those tryouts next year. Ivy didn't even have
Speaker 1: to think twice. She ran inside and asked her mom
Speaker 1: if she could join a gym and start training in gymnastics.
Speaker 1: Did someone hear about the Junior Olympics? Giggled her mom
Speaker 1: with a smile. Well, I am so glad this happened.
Speaker 1: I've been telling you for years how much natural ability
Speaker 1: you have. I a had the right training to that,
Speaker 1: and there'll be no stopping you. And you too, Levi,
Speaker 1: said Levi's dad as they both walked into the kitchen
Speaker 1: overhearing Ivy's conversation with their mom. Can you even imagine
Speaker 1: both of our kids competing in Junior Olympics, winning gold
Speaker 1: and making everyone in the country so proud? Hey, how
Speaker 1: about doing our best and having fun? And we're proud
Speaker 1: of you no matter what, laughed Levi. Of course all
Speaker 1: of that too, smiled Levi's dad, who was also a
Speaker 1: basketball coach. It's all about having fun, and I can't
Speaker 1: imagine a more fun experience than competing with other kids.
Speaker 1: From around the world and the sport that you love.
Speaker 1: Talk about a time you'd never forget. And since you're
Speaker 1: not on that Junior Olympic team yet, we have some
Speaker 1: practicing to do. But they do need to eat a
Speaker 1: healthy lunch first, said Levi and Ivey's mom. Now go
Speaker 1: wash up and after lunch, we'll look for gymnastics gyms
Speaker 1: and you can go practice basketball. And that's exactly what happened.
Speaker 1: Ivy and her mom called several different gyms before they
Speaker 1: found one that was taking new students. It just so
Speaker 1: happened that the gym Ivy really wanted to get into
Speaker 1: called them back and let them know that one of
Speaker 1: their students was moving on to a private trainer and
Speaker 1: they had one spot open, and that spot just happened
Speaker 1: to be coached by a former Olympic gymnast. This is amazing,
Speaker 1: exclaimed Ivey's mom. You get to meet your new coach
Speaker 1: tomorrow and I couldn't be happier for you. She'll have
Speaker 1: so much amazing insight to pass on to you. I
Speaker 1: just know it will be the perfect fit. I mean,
Speaker 1: who better to train you to get into the Junior
Speaker 1: Olympic then someone who has been to the Olympics themselves.
Speaker 1: Ivey was so excited she could hardly sleep that night. Instead,
Speaker 1: she did back fence, walk over his handstands, and somersaults
Speaker 1: until her mom finally made her get in bed. You
Speaker 1: need your rest, Ivy. Tomorrow may very well be your
Speaker 1: first step towards the Junior Olympics, said her mom with
Speaker 1: a smile. And I'm so excited that you wanted to
Speaker 1: give this a try, and remember, have fun. Thanks Mom,
Speaker 1: I know, said Ivy as she yawned and hopped into bed.
Speaker 1: She dreamt that night about flipping through the air and
Speaker 1: landing some of the most difficult moves with all of gymnastics.
Speaker 1: She woke up with a smile on her face and
Speaker 1: determination in her heart. No one in her hometown or
Speaker 1: even close to it, had ever been to the Olympics,
Speaker 1: so why not change that. After breakfast, Levi and Ivy
Speaker 1: headed out the door, Levi with his dad to work
Speaker 1: on jump shots and dribbling drills, and Ivy with her
Speaker 1: mom to head to the gym. Good Luck on the court,
Speaker 1: Ivy called out to her brother. Good Luck on the
Speaker 1: mats or the rings or beams, flying through the air
Speaker 1: or walking on your hands. Sorry, Ivy. I'm just not
Speaker 1: sure what you're gonna be doing just yet, said Levi
Speaker 1: with a giggle. That's okay, neither do, I, answered Ivy
Speaker 1: as she jumped into the car with her mom. She
Speaker 1: didn't know a lot about it yet, but she was
Speaker 1: excited to find out what this new world of gymnastics
Speaker 1: was all about. Once at the gym, Ivy's mom walked
Speaker 1: her inside to meet her coach. She was so nice
Speaker 1: and immediately had Ivy show her a few things. Hi, Ivy,
Speaker 1: I'm Coach Miller. I'm so happy you can join us.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna start off by calling out a few skills
Speaker 1: and you show me if you can do them, said
Speaker 1: her coach, and what happened next left Coach Miller shocked
Speaker 1: as Ivy completed every skill that was asked of her
Speaker 1: with ease and grace. I think we've got some real
Speaker 1: potential here, said Coach Miller, sounding very excited. Working with
Speaker 1: me here at the gym during the week, competing in
Speaker 1: some tournaments on the weekends, keeping up with practice at home,
Speaker 1: and I think you could have a real shot at
Speaker 1: making Junior Olympics gymnastics. Is that something you'd like to
Speaker 1: do Ivy absolutely Ivy as she did a backflip, and
Speaker 1: from that day on, not a single second went by
Speaker 1: when Ivy wasn't thinking about gymnastics. What made that even
Speaker 1: easier was since her parents believed in her so much,
Speaker 1: Anne wanted her to have every opportunity to succeed. They
Speaker 1: turned their garage into a mini gym, complete with beams,
Speaker 1: bars and tumbling mats. Meanwhile, Levi ramped up his basketball
Speaker 1: practices and was outside every minute he had working on
Speaker 1: every aspect of the game. If it was raining out,
Speaker 1: he wouldn't let that stop him. Instead, he would just
Speaker 1: use the mini hoop in his room to practice. He
Speaker 1: would use pretty much anything to practice, like shooting his
Speaker 1: socks into the dirty clothes hamper, making a layup to
Speaker 1: throw in his potato chip bag, or pump faking. When
Speaker 1: he went to pass Ivy the fries at dinner time, Wow, Levi,
Speaker 1: you're getting pretty good at it, Ivy laughed as she
Speaker 1: got a handful of fries. I know, Dad and I
Speaker 1: have been working on pump fakes, picks, and pull up jumpers,
Speaker 1: said Levi. I'm pretty confident if I keep this up,
Speaker 1: I'll make the Junior Olympic basketball team. Well, you've got
Speaker 1: my vote, said Levi's dad. You've been putting in a
Speaker 1: lot of work and it shows You've got my vote too,
Speaker 1: Levi said his mom mine too, added Ivy, right back
Speaker 1: at u. Ivy, I know you'll make the Junior Olympics
Speaker 1: gymnastics team, said Levi in between his bites of food.
Speaker 1: Ever since you joined your gym and started training with
Speaker 1: coach Miller, you've won the last three tournaments you've been in.
Speaker 1: You're unstoppable. We're so proud of you, Ivy said her
Speaker 1: mom and dad. Time continued to pass, and before they
Speaker 1: knew it, Levi and Ivy were turning in their paperwork
Speaker 1: to try out for the Junior Olympics. The time they
Speaker 1: had put in practicing, along with schoolwork and time with
Speaker 1: friends and family, was a lot, but they knew if
Speaker 1: they wanted a chance at making it to the Junior Olympics,
Speaker 1: they had to give it their all. They loved every
Speaker 1: minute of it, so they knew they were making their
Speaker 1: right choice. On the first day of tryouts, the line
Speaker 1: of kids handing in paperwork seemed to be a mile long.
Speaker 1: Everyone was so excited at the chance to compete in
Speaker 1: this unique arena, and since it was the first time
Speaker 1: it had ever happened, people were just curious about it too.
Speaker 1: All the kids thought, why not give it a try.
Speaker 1: If they made it great and if not, it would
Speaker 1: be great experience. And that's exactly what Levi and Ivy's
Speaker 1: parents told them before they handed in their paperwork. We
Speaker 1: could not be prouder of both of you, so their parents,
Speaker 1: no matter what happens from this moment on, we want
Speaker 1: you to enjoy every second of it, win or lose.
Speaker 1: You were both great kids, and even just the experience
Speaker 1: of trying out for Junior Olympics is going to be
Speaker 1: one you'll never forget. Go out there and have the
Speaker 1: best time ever. Levi and Ivy hugged their parents, gave
Speaker 1: each other a high five, and ran off to find
Speaker 1: their tryout areas. In the days that followed, Levi and
Speaker 1: Ivy worked harder than they ever had before. They were
Speaker 1: tired and a little sore, but they wouldn't have traded
Speaker 1: it for the world. They made new friends, learn new skills,
Speaker 1: and through it all were constantly supported by everyone there.
Speaker 1: It was like one big family. That's why when the
Speaker 1: decisions were made regarding who had made the different Junior
Speaker 1: Olympics team. It was bittersweet. That's because Ivy and Levi
Speaker 1: each made the teams they were ty out for, but
Speaker 1: some of their friends didn't, instead being taken on as
Speaker 1: alternates or used on a practice team. Still a big
Speaker 1: part of the whole experience, but not exactly where they
Speaker 1: may have wanted to be. Levi and Ivy were over
Speaker 1: the moon excited about their accomplishments, and so were their parents.
Speaker 1: Are two kids representing our little hometown in the Junior Olympics.
Speaker 1: Can you believe it? Exclaimed Levi and Ivy's dad. This
Speaker 1: isn't real, amazing beyond belief, and a whole bunch of
Speaker 1: other things that meant, this is the greatest thing that's
Speaker 1: ever happened to me. Cheered Levi. Me too, exclaimed Ivy,
Speaker 1: giving her brother a hug. They were so proud of
Speaker 1: each other, but after the celebration quieted down, they were
Speaker 1: both feeling a little bit bad about their friends who
Speaker 1: were not as happy as them. Levi and Ivy would
Speaker 1: find out along this Olympic journey that there would be
Speaker 1: high points and low points, There would be difficult losses
Speaker 1: and wonderful victories. They would learn respect, teamwork and sportsmanship,
Speaker 1: and no matter what happened, win or lose, they were
Speaker 1: always each other's biggest fan, and that would ever change.
Speaker 1: Basketball and gymnastics practices started shortly after tryouts ended. After all,
Speaker 1: they had the Junior Olympics games to prepare for, and
Speaker 1: if Levi and Ivy thought that they were practicing hard before,
Speaker 1: they hadn't seen anything yet that, on top of schoolwork,
Speaker 1: helping at home, and still trying to find time for
Speaker 1: friends and family, was proving to be a lot on
Speaker 1: both of them. That's why it was important for them
Speaker 1: to have each other's backs as they went on this
Speaker 1: Olympic journey together. Levi would always try his best to
Speaker 1: make Ivy laugh if he saw her getting frustrated with
Speaker 1: a particular skill, and Ivy always knew what kind of
Speaker 1: sweet treet would bring Levi out of a bad mood
Speaker 1: if he wasn't doing well at practice as he would liked.
Speaker 1: I just want to say thank you, said Levi to
Speaker 1: Ivy as he gobbled up the chocolate candies she gave
Speaker 1: him one afternoon. I just can't hit my threes today,
Speaker 1: but this little candy pick me up really helped. No
Speaker 1: need to thank me, Levi. You're always turning my bad
Speaker 1: moods around to like the other day when I just
Speaker 1: couldn't land the dismount from the rings started, Ivy just
Speaker 1: what I wanted to give up. Looked over and I
Speaker 1: saw you making funny faces at me from the other
Speaker 1: end of the gym. I'm glad I could help you
Speaker 1: as much as you help me, said Levi. I couldn't
Speaker 1: imagine doing this without you here me either, said Ivy,
Speaker 1: giving her brother a high five before heading back to practice.
Speaker 1: And it was an important practice because it would be
Speaker 1: their last one before the Junior Olympics started in just
Speaker 1: three short days. At that time, they would be jumping
Speaker 1: on a plane with their parents and flying off to
Speaker 1: the biggest sports event of their lives. The games would
Speaker 1: be held in a bustling city which was happy to
Speaker 1: call itself the home to the first ever Junior Olympics.
Speaker 1: It was history and the making, but Levi and Ivy
Speaker 1: just couldn't believe they were a part of that history.
Speaker 1: The next day, is Levi and Ivy walked through the airport,
Speaker 1: their whole town was right along with them, cheering and
Speaker 1: showing their support through homemade banners and posters. They called
Speaker 1: out their names and wished them well as they boarded
Speaker 1: the plane. They said they would be watching from home
Speaker 1: and they couldn't wait to see the great things they
Speaker 1: would do. I suppose it would have been easy for
Speaker 1: Levine II Ivy to be nervous, but they didn't feel
Speaker 1: that way at all. They had worked so hard to
Speaker 1: get to where they were, and whatever happened would be
Speaker 1: alright with them. Of course, they each wanted to win,
Speaker 1: but the experience of being at the Junior Olympics with
Speaker 1: so many other athletes was a little bit bigger than
Speaker 1: wins and losses. Once in the city, Levi and Ivy
Speaker 1: went to their hotel with their parents and settled in.
Speaker 1: They met up with their friends, who were the alternates
Speaker 1: on the practice team for each of their sports. They
Speaker 1: were thrilled to be there as well, and they knew
Speaker 1: they played an important role in the whole Junior Olympics experience.
Speaker 1: Ivy's friend Jenny, was particularly excited to be there. She
Speaker 1: had never been to a big city before, never flown
Speaker 1: in an airplane before, and never stayed in such a
Speaker 1: huge hotel before. My family mostly goes camping, said Jenny.
Speaker 1: This hotel is bigger than most of the campsites we
Speaker 1: go to. Jenny loved gymnastics and had been doing it
Speaker 1: since she was a toddler. She was so happy for
Speaker 1: her friend Ivy for making the team, but she really
Speaker 1: would have loved to have been right there with her. However,
Speaker 1: she was always supportive and had the best team out attitude.
Speaker 1: She was Ivy's alternate and would step in if Ivy
Speaker 1: were to ever get hurt. Jenny practiced extra hard to
Speaker 1: make sure she was ready if needed. Since Ivy was
Speaker 1: so good, Jenny wanted to make sure she was able
Speaker 1: to keep up if she ever had to take her
Speaker 1: place and compete. However, there was one thing that Jenny
Speaker 1: was better at than Ivy, and that was the rings.
Speaker 1: It was like she was made for them, and everything
Speaker 1: she did while on them looked so effortless. After looking
Speaker 1: around the hotel, having dinner with some of the other athletes,
Speaker 1: and going to a meet and greet, everyone was ready
Speaker 1: for bed. The next day they would see the Junior
Speaker 1: Olympics facilities where they would be competing. They would also
Speaker 1: get an opportunity to practice a bit more before opening day.
Speaker 1: The next day was long and tiring, but so much fun.
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy tried to enjoy every minute, knowing the
Speaker 1: games and the wonderful experience would be over before they
Speaker 1: knew it. As they walked around the facilities, they both
Speaker 1: had huge smiles on their faces, as if the magnitude
Speaker 1: the whole experience had still not fully sunk in yet.
Speaker 1: Each Olympic team focused on their sport and worked hard
Speaker 1: to make sure they were ready for opening day, which
Speaker 1: at this point was only about twelve hours away. Everyone
Speaker 1: was so excited that night that they could barely eat
Speaker 1: dinner and sleeping was out of the question. The next
Speaker 1: morning arrived quickly and the Junior Olympics were ready to begin.
Speaker 1: Levi and his teammates took the court as the first
Speaker 1: basketball game. It was an honor and Levi did an
Speaker 1: amazing job. He scored twelve points and his team won
Speaker 1: the game. Ivy was able to watch from the stance
Speaker 1: because her gymnastics competition wasn't until later that afternoon. She
Speaker 1: could have not been prouder of her brother, but she
Speaker 1: had to get going shortly after the game and to
Speaker 1: practice a bit more on the rings. She thought maybe
Speaker 1: Jenny could help her. Ivy was still having trouble sticking
Speaker 1: the landing at the end of her routine, but she
Speaker 1: knew she needed to keep trying. Jenny helped all she
Speaker 1: could before Ivy was up. Ivy's floor routine, followed by
Speaker 1: her balance being routine, were up next. She felt nervous
Speaker 1: until she looked into the crowd and saw Levi and
Speaker 1: her parents all cheering her on. Just have fun, she
Speaker 1: whispered to herself as she took her mark. Just pretend
Speaker 1: you're doing cartwheels in the front yard. And thankfully that
Speaker 1: little pep talk worked. Wonders because Ivy posted top scores
Speaker 1: in both her routines, putting her team in third place.
Speaker 1: The rings were next, and Ivy knew a perfect score
Speaker 1: from her would bring her team into second place. She
Speaker 1: was excited and because of that, she was not paying
Speaker 1: attention to her surroundings. As Ivy was walking to her coach,
Speaker 1: she didn't see her gym bag sitting out in front
Speaker 1: of her. As she called coach Miller, she got her
Speaker 1: foot caught in the strap of her bag and fell over,
Speaker 1: twisting her ankle in the process. Oh no, Ivy, are
Speaker 1: you okay? Called out coach Miller when she saw the
Speaker 1: pained look on Ivy's face. It's my ankle, said Ivy,
Speaker 1: holding her ankle and starting to cry. Coach Miller asked
Speaker 1: the judges for a moment and assessed the situation. She
Speaker 1: quickly discovered that it wasn't anything too serious, but it
Speaker 1: wasn't a good idea for Ivy to try and compete
Speaker 1: on the rings. Right then, you need to ice your
Speaker 1: ankle and stay off of it. If you do that,
Speaker 1: there's a chance you could participate tomorrow if you wrap it,
Speaker 1: said Coach Miller. I'm sorry, Ivy, you did great, but
Speaker 1: you're done for the day. That means Jenny, you're up
Speaker 1: next on rings. You'll have a little while to warm
Speaker 1: up before competing. Everyone told Jenny what a great job
Speaker 1: she would do as they saw a look of panic
Speaker 1: come over her. She knew it was always a possibility
Speaker 1: that she would have to compete, but she didn't think
Speaker 1: it would actually happen. Don't be nervous, Jenny said, Ivy.
Speaker 1: I'm so sad that you can't compete, said Jenny. Don't
Speaker 1: feel bad for me at all. I feel exactly the
Speaker 1: opposite for you. I am so thrilled that you get
Speaker 1: a chance to go out there and show everyone how
Speaker 1: amazing you are in the rings. You deserve to be
Speaker 1: out there because you're a junior Olympian. Now go have
Speaker 1: some fun. I'll be right here, cheering the loudest. Jenny
Speaker 1: smiled at Ivy and gave her a big hug before
Speaker 1: running off to warm up. Ivy was so busy talking
Speaker 1: to Jenny that she didn't notice her parents and leave
Speaker 1: Ice Danny behind her. We heard everything you just said, Ivy,
Speaker 1: began her mom, And we couldn't be prouder of you.
Speaker 1: What amazing sportsmanship that was. Absolutely you could have been upset,
Speaker 1: hurting your ankle or mad because Jenny gets to compete
Speaker 1: on the rings, but you weren't, said Ivy's dad. Instead,
Speaker 1: you were encouraging and supportive. Really proud of you, Ivy,
Speaker 1: said Lewhite, and I know you'll be back out there
Speaker 1: in no time. Ivy smiled, so happy to have her
Speaker 1: parents and Levi around her. Then up in the stands,
Speaker 1: Jenny's parents were cheering extra allowed to make sure Jenny
Speaker 1: knew how excited they were for her, and they had
Speaker 1: lots to be excited about. Jenny's routine on the rings
Speaker 1: was flawless and moved her gymnastics team into second place,
Speaker 1: where they stayed for the rest of the competition. A
Speaker 1: silver medal finish for Ivy's gymnastics team and a third
Speaker 1: place finish for Levi's basketball team was not a bad
Speaker 1: way to end their time at Junior Olympics. The experiences
Speaker 1: they had, the friends they made, and the values they
Speaker 1: learned during their time at Junior Olympics were things that
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy would take with them for the rest
Speaker 1: of their lives, along with the knowledge that they made
Speaker 1: history and paved the way for more Junior Olympians in
Speaker 1: the future. Thanks for joining us today. I hope you
Speaker 1: enjoyed the story and learned a little something too, And
Speaker 1: since we know everyone has their own story, we'd love
Speaker 1: to hear yours. If you have an idea for a
Speaker 1: Lively Louis story, leave a comment on our Apple podcast
Speaker 1: review page with five stars, your idea and your little
Speaker 1: one's name. Then maybe I next to thank you will
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Speaker 1: jan friends the name. We can't wait to share another
Speaker 1: fun Lively Lewis story with you.