HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Ashton Locklear's routine has been dazzling judges and America for years, and now she is heading to the Olympics.
She has strong ties to the Charlotte area. She lives in Hamlet in Richmond County and trains just about every day at the Everest Gymnastics Training Center in Huntersville.
She was selected Sunday as an alternate for the U.S. Gymnastics team.
"I would watch her in the gym when she was working and she just never would give up, she just kept going," Rachel Chickering, a former coach at the gym, said.
Chickering watched Ashton grow up. She's not surprised the road to Rio is going through Huntersville.
"Everest has grown through the years," she said. "It's really cool to see that Everest is showing up in the Olympics."
As an alternate, Locklear will get to train and travel with the team. Should someone get hurt or be unable to perform, Locklear and two other alternates would be next in line.
But some gymnastics fans like Nicole Richardson feel Locklear should have made the five-member squad. Former gold medalist Gabby Douglas was chosen for the team despite finishing behind Locklear in uneven bars.
"I did feel like Gabby didn't deserve it," Nicole Richardson said. "But you never know, maybe she'll step it up."
Despite the snub, she's happy to hear the Charlotte area will be represented.
Channel 9 reached out to Ashton and her coaches, but they were in California and not available for an on-camera interview.
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