Most 4-year-olds don’t know what they want to be when they grow up.

Presley Carter isn’t like most 4-year-olds. She already knows what she wants to be when she grows up and is working hard in an effort to get where she wants to go.

Presley finished her session with her gymnastics coach at Xtreme Athletics Wednesday night and sat down on the mat to pull on her socks. Without looking up, she said, “I want to go to the Olympics.”

Presley’s mother, Brandi Carter, smiled.

“She loves to watch gymnastics on television and she knows about the Olympics and that’s what she wants to do,” Brandi said. “Right now, she’s having fun and learning skills that will benefit her in a lot of ways.

Presley began taking dance classes when she was 2 years old, but didn’t enjoy it.

“She just didn’t like dancing, but she was fascinated by the gym. And everything that she saw kids doing on the gymnastics side of the gym, she wanted to do. And she wanted to do all that the cheer teams were doing over on the other side of the gym.”

It was obvious to Presley’s parents, Brandi and Steven, that she had a natural interest in gymnastics. She also was as limber as a wet noodle, giving her the physical capabilities.

Presley’s parents enrolled her in the gymnastics program at Xtreme Athletics and she was up and running.

Presley’s ability did not go unnoticed by the instructors. At age four, she was tagged for the gym’s level 1 gymnastics team.

“Presley is the youngest gymnast at Xtreme Athletics to compete competitively,” said Sydney Covington, gymnastics coach. “We have 10 girls on the Level 1 Team which is the beginner level. At Xtreme Athletics, we have five levels. In USA Gymnastics they have 10 levels so we are halfway there.”

Covington said Presley has a unique talent and the ability to do well.

“If she continues to have the desire and the drive, she can go as far as she wants,” Covington said. “Right now, she is working hard and does whatever she is asked to do. She gets better and better.”

Kevin May, a stunt instructor, noticed the young girl whose was big-eyed at the stunts the Troy University Cheerleaders were doing across the gym.

“I could tell that she was fascinated by them,” May said.

So, when Brandi asked May if he would work with Presley, he agreed.

He said Presley has no fear. She watches the university cheerleaders and wants to do everything they do.

“Some of the jumps they are doing, Presley is doing to,” May said. “She’s good and she wants to get better.”

Presley is not afraid to try a new jump and will work at it until she’s comfortable with doing it.

“I like doing stunts. They don’t scare me. I like it all,” she said.

The young gymnast will be 5 years old in December, so time is ticking toward the Olympics of her dreams.

Presley is preparing for the Olympics in 2024 or maybe the next time around.

That’s a long time with tens of thousands jumps and tumbles in between. But what’s time to 4-year-old with a dream that’s as big as the world around her?