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.