HELENA — Helena’s Russell Baker is one of the top male gymnasts in Montana, recently claiming a state championship in the still rings.
“Most of the time when I'm competing, I don’t really think,” said Baker, a sophomore at Capital High School. “I just kind of do because it’s muscle memory. And I’ve done so many routines over the past seven, eight years, that it’s just stuck. Like, I don’t really think.”
Baker joined gymnastics at the age of 9 and now practices four times a week for three hours at a time. Baker’s dedication is something his coach said should be celebrated.
“There’s a lot of guys that they will drop out in those middle school years just because there is that push/pull of all their peers that are doing football and basketball and those more high school-oriented sports,” said Casey Hammond, owner of Gym406 in Helena and Baker’s coach. “So, to see Russell persevere through those years and that time in his life, and now that he’s a sophomore in high school and he’s still showing up every day and putting in the work, that says a lot.”
Hammond said participation in boys gymnastics is lower in Montana than many other parts of the country. But Baker and his state championship serve as a shining example of what’s possible for young gymnasts interested in the sport if they work hard and stick with it.
“There’s a lot of boys that come into gymnastics and watch me do my thing and say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so cool. How do you do that?' And I say, my number one answer is, ‘I’ve been doing this as long as you’ve been alive,'" said Baker. "I really enjoy watching the little boys look up to me. It feels good because I was at one point a younger guy looking up to the older guys."
Hammond said having a gymnast like Baker as part of his program is essential.
“Because they do look up to him, and it kind of normalizes gymnastics,” said Hammond. “So, if they’re kind of anxious or nervous about learning something, but if they see Russell, like he does this every single day, it’s easier for them to reach those goals as well. It’s not as big and scary. ... I don’t think he realizes how much that means to them. It’s huge, in their eyes, having someone like Russell in their world.”
