January 11, 2012

The 16 year-old, level-10 gymnast has competed for National Championships, and plans to win one this season, which begins this weekend.

Dakota: We go and compete and they grade you on how neat you do it, toes are pointed, they're straight, what position you're supposed to be in... and you qualify to go to Nationals and that's in Long Beach, CA. So we're going to go there.

Don Carter: "As far as skills, he can do just about anything you can think of. Triple backs, triple fronts with a half-twist. Double-twisting doubles."

But with abilities like these, Dakota doesn't plan to stop there.

Dakota: My goal is to take it to the Olympics. The next one is 2016. That's where I plan to take it.

Trampoline became an Olympic sport at the 2000 games in Sidney. For Buchanan his chances for bringing home a gold medal are up in the air.

Dakota: I think when the time comes, I'll be ready. And if not, you've got to go big or go home. Either going to make it or you're not. So we'll just kind of see what happens.

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