SALT LAKE CITY — It's not often a Christmas gift can change the life of an individual.
Sure, many can look back to a specific gift that brought them joy or fond memories about a simpler time. But for University of Utah gymnast Maile O'Keefe, a simple Christmas gift changed the trajectory of her life.
In 2005, when O'Keefe was just 3 years old, her aunt and uncle gifted her the first few months of gymnastic classes, along with the first year of registration fees and "a couple little leotards" to get her into the sport. According to O'Keefe's mother, Tori, her little girl had already been following her cousin's example as he taught her a few things following his own gymnastic classes.