“What stood out for Raegan was she was the top athlete from the Cayman Islands. So, not only did she want it and had the drive and talent, but she was the top one from her country, paving the way. Like Mary Lou Retton paved the way for gymnastics in the U.S., that’s Raegan in the Cayman Islands.””

Grace Gymnastics coach Eddie Umphrey

Raegan Rutty had to leave home. Had to. She was too talented of a young gymnast not to.

About five years ago, Rutty, born and raised in the Cayman Islands, was told by her coach that she had to “leave the nest” and go to America. The Islands, where Rutty’s family has lived for eight generations, simply did not have the coaching or resources Rutty needed to advance in the sport.

So, Rutty did. After a year commuting back and forth on the 2 ½-hour flight between home and Dallas with her mother, Rutty, then 15 years old, left home for good, her mother staying home at the Islands and Rutty eventually finding herself in Katy as she pursued her dream of making the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer.

For the last four years, Rutty, now 19, has trained with Eddie Umphrey and his wife, Johnnie, first in the Memorial area and for the last three years in Katy. Rutty is eligible to earn an Olympic berth via the tripartite invitation at the Pan American Championships this weekend in Brazil. It is the final qualifying stage for Rutty, who has not competed since February 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic suspended competitions.

“This is about getting back out there, remembering what it’s like to compete, and just getting the nerves out in preparation of hopefully making it to Tokyo,” Rutty said.

Rutty fell in love with gymnastics when she was 4, following in the footsteps of her older sister. The self-described “adrenaline junkie” loved to flip in the air. She remembers watching Shawn Johnson compete for the United States in the 2008 Olympics, admiring Johnson’s humble nature and fun-loving style.

“That’s what I want to do one day,” Rutty said to herself.

Rutty met the Umphreys not long after leaving the Islands. Eddie, whose brother Chainey helped United States gymnastics to a fifth-place finish at the 1996 Olympics, competed at Michigan, Johnnie at Oregon State. They took to coaching not long after. One of Eddie’s students when he started in Minnesota was Maggie Nichols, a former college star at Oklahoma.

The Umphreys started their own training program—Grace Gymnastics, currently housed out of the Showcase Gymnastics facility on Mason Road—almost a year ago. Rutty is their prized pupil.

“What stood out for Raegan was she was the top athlete from the Cayman Islands,” Eddie said. “So, not only did she want it and had the drive and talent, but she was the top one from her country, paving the way. Like Mary Lou Retton paved the way for gymnastics in the U.S., that’s Raegan in the Cayman Islands.”

IN STRIDE

Since leaving home, Rutty has stayed with four host families. She has been forced to grow up quickly.

“I think parents shape who a kid is, and being away made me realize who I am,” Rutty said. “Being around strangers and different families, you have to learn to stick to your own values and morals. It’s very easy to become a chameleon, but it shaped me into who I am and I’m grateful for that.”

She found her home away from home in Katy. When she first arrived, she would call her mother and talk excitedly about going to Sonic and “living the Katy life.”

“It’s fun for me. I love it,” Rutty said. “I fed ducks. I’ve gone to football games. I’ve gone to two Homecomings. I feel like I’m living the American dream.”

Rutty glows when talking about Chick-fil-A and Whataburger. She has friends that attend Tompkins and Cinco Ranch high schools. She is considerably more comfortable away from home than she used to be—she returns to the Cayman Islands three times a year—but it’s still difficult at times.

Rutty calls her mother “about six times a day” just to talk, exchange stories and tell her she loves her. Initially, she questioned whether she even wanted to continue with gymnastics because of how much she missed home.

“But I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics, and I never wanted to look back and wish I kept going,” Rutty said.

It has helped to have a second family like the Murrays.

Rachel and James Murry have been Rutty’s host family in Katy since 2017. They had never hosted anyone before Rutty, but they took her in when their old gym sent an email introducing Rutty, seeking a family for her to stay with.

“Raegan is the best,” Rachel said “She is polite, she is gracious. She’s taught my kids manners. She’s so thankful for everything, always happy.”

The Murrays have four kids—three daughters and a son. The daughters train with Rutty and the Umphreys. James said Rutty is a great big sister to their kids.

Rutty said the Murrays are the most loving and best people anyone could ever meet.

“I don’t even like calling them my host family. They’re just my family,” Rutty said. “I get homesick a lot, but I feel I genuinely have another mom here.”

Rachel said Rutty is funny, always laughing and smiling. Rachel and James smile over Rutty’s love of chocolate ice cream. Rutty is a beach girl and enjoys Soku music.

But, while the good times far outnumber the bad, it hasn’t always been easy for Rutty, particularly as the Olympics draw closer. She wants nothing more than to compete in Tokyo.

“There’s been anxiety, of course, and some stress,” Rachel said. “Some tears, sometimes. But she handles it really well. Everything has been so uncertain, but she’s handled it all in stride, with positivity and knowing God has a plan.”

‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’

Rutty has made the most of her time in the States, training more than 35 hours a week and centering her schooling around her training regimen. She took high school classes and now college classes at the University of Florida online to accommodate her schedule.

Rutty represented the Cayman Islands at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2019 Pan American Games, and the 2018 and 2019 World Championships. She is the first Cayman Island gymnast to compete at the Pan American Games.

She knows she is making her country proud.

“They’re so supportive,” said Rutty, who uses Instagram to keep in touch with people back home. “If I post something, or my mom posts something or the federation does, the comments are so positive. It’s nice knowing everyone at home is still rooting for me even though I’m in the States. It’s the best feeling to represent your country, and I try and hold onto that, especially when things get down.”

Rutty was hard on herself when she was younger. She showed up to practices shaking, because she so badly wanted to perform well, and often saw herself as a disappointment whenever she didn’t.

But through the Umphreys’ training—she’s not as skilled on leaps as she is on turns, for instance, so the Umphreys established routines to highlight those strengths—Rutty is surer of herself.

“I’m the only one from the Cayman Islands who’s done as much as I’ve done, gone as far as I’ve gone, and they’ve been able to understand that, realize that and take advantage of that,” Rutty said. “I may not be the best gymnast internationally, but I’m not the worst. But I’m still the best from my country, and I want to make the most of that. Them seeing that has motivated me. They make me feel special.”

To make the Olympics, Rutty has to finish in the top two overall out of all the Pan-Am countries competing in Brazil. Realistically, Eddie said that is a tough feat.

But there is another way. Because the Cayman Islands is underrepresented in the Olympics, it can be awarded a tripartite invitation. The bid is meant to give smaller countries representation. The Olympic committee looks at those countries and the two previous Olympics (2012 and 2016), and if a country has an average of eight athletes or less competing, total, the country qualifies for a tripartite bid. Then, Eddie said, the committee will take the highest-placed athlete from the 2019 World Championships, where Rutty placed 158th in the all-around competition. Her score of 43.066 secured a Cayman Islands national title as the highest tallied by any competitor in an International Gymnastics Federation event that year.

An Olympic judge evaluated Rutty’s routines on video and declared her eligible for this week’s Pan American Championships. Rutty is expected to compete on Saturday.

Over the past few months, the Umphreys made “upgrades” to Rutty’s routine on the bars, working on two new release moves. They’ve also worked on improving her vault to a front handspring front pike half. She could go up about two points in each event with those additions.

Still, even if she doesn’t qualify for the Olympics, Rutty knows she’ll be OK, though she is sure to be disappointed and heartbroken at first. She now understands there is more to life than gymnastics.

Rutty no longer allows the sport to consume her. She is happiest when her social life and training are equally balanced, when she can enjoy hanging out with friends after a long morning’s work of training.

Rutty used to get overwhelmed with gymnastics. Sometimes, she still does. As recently as three weeks ago, she said she was “freaking out” in anticipation of the Olympics. But those moments are occurring less often, and a week before the Pan American Championships, she was “excited” and “thrilled.” The nerves and stress had eased.

As Rutty has gotten more consistent in her routines, thanks to her tireless training, her confidence has grown. And as her confidence has matured, so has her perspective.

“I’ve gotten to the point in my gymnastics career where I wish I would have enjoyed it more,” Rutty said. “I used to be super stressed and worried about competitions, and I wish I enjoyed the moments more. Now I realize that every opportunity and experience I get is unique, once in a lifetime, and to never take it for granted. I want to enjoy this beautiful sport while I can still do it. I want to do my best, have fun, and make the most of this experience.”