Asiel Abdel-Hadi of Maui will compete in the USA Gymnastics National Championships on Saturday in Oklahoma. Courtesy photo

At 15 years old, Asiel Abdel-Hadi wasn’t even alive the last time a gymnast from Maui achieved a Level 10 ranking and qualified for nationals.

Level 10 is the highest skill level in the USA Gymnastics Development Program, and it often serves as a pathway to collegiate gymnastics.

The freshman at Kulanihakoi will be representing Hawaii at the USA Gymnastics National Championships on Saturday in Oklahoma after she captured the Level 10 designation on floor, where she also won the regional title.

Abdel-Hadi also placed second in the all-around at this year’s regional championships.

According to Kim Brown, owner of 808 Gymnastics in Kahului, Abdel-Hadi is the first Level 10 gymnast from Maui to qualify for nationals since 2005.

Abdel-Hadi, who trains at 808 Gymnastics, is a five-time regional qualifier and a five-time Hawaii State Champion, winning titles from 2022 to 2026. Abdel-Hadi is the only gymnast from Hawaii to qualify for nationals this year.

Brown said Abdel-Hadi’s achievement is not only significant for the young gymnast, it’s a point of pride for the entire Maui gymnastics community.

“It’s a really big deal,” Brown said. “It’s a very rare occurrence.”

Abdel-Hadi competes in the bars, beam, floor and vault events, and she is coached by Kellie Suttle and Tucker Rabel. She started gymnastics by taking classes when she was 3 years old, and she was competing by age 7.

From there, she kept at it and things just took off.

“I think it just kinda happened along the way,” Abdel-Hadi said of her success in gymnastics. “I was just doing it for fun at first, but then it got more serious.”

The young gymnast admitted she has poured a lot of hard work and dedication into the sport. Sometimes, she said, it can hurt, but one of the best payoffs is the fun she has flipping around so freely in the air.

Abdel-Hadi also said she hopes to compete in gymnastics in college. Brown said that is a very realistic goal, as Abdel-Hadi works hard, sets a good example for other gymnasts, is always on time, never misses practice and is widely loved by her coaches and fellow gymnasts.

“She has a really good chance,” Brown said. “So this year, she wouldn’t be recruited because she’s a freshman, but for gymnastics, it would be next year, and the following year, they are definitely going to look at her.”

A GoFundMe page has been created to help Abdel-Hadi cover the costs of competing in Oklahoma. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/2k2kbmjn.