Freshman gymnast Melissa Genovese may appear to be a typical star athlete. But her life has been not-too-unlike a risky floor performance in her sport — full of twists and one major unpleasant turn.

The unpleasant turn was heart surgery in 1999.

At age 15, Genovese’s mind may have been set on the Olympics in Athens, but her heart was in dire need of attention. Unexpectedly her heart would accelerate uncontrollably.

“During workouts or whenever I was exercising I would just get really light-headed or dizzy and wouldn’t be able to breathe very well,” Genovese said. “It had been going on for like a year and a half.”

The young gymnast was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia. This condition causes the heart to pump much faster than normal. Unless quickly treated SVT can be life threatening.

Doctors told her that she could either take pills for the rest of her life to maintain a normal heart rate or surgery.

She decided to go under the knife.

“It was really scary,” Genovese said. “I had never any kind of surgery before and it was my heart. So I was really nervous.”

She was successfully treated at Mercy General Hospital, where doctors spent three hours using catheters to sever the excess tissue causing the disorder.

“Once it was done everything healed back to normal,” Genovese said. “I competed through the season and everything was fine.”

The surgery took place just before the gymnastics season was to begin. Genovese recovered fast enough that she was able to win a silver medal at the Junior Olympic nationals.

Born in Sacramento, Genovese moved to El Dorado Hills and began her gymnastics training at age 4.

Four years before her heart surgery Genovese’s life would take another unexpected turn.

“I was doing a skill on the (uneven) bars and my hands peeled off,” Genovese said.

She was tossed into the air and landed face first onto a tumble-track. The impact of the landing badly broke her mouth, nose and right cheekbones. All the breaks were clean and the accident required no surgery, but eight months of recovery.

“I was swollen for a while,” Genovese said.

Her work ethic and discipline were able to take her very far in the sport, working her way up through the various stages of gymnastics until making the Junior Olympic team in both 2001 and 2002. Genovese broke into the top 25 in the national’s all around.

Genovese was trained by renowned gymnastics coach Keith Wilette at Diamond Springs All-Star Gymnastics.

In her strongest event, the balance beam, she took first place in 2002 at the national competition, also placing in the top ten on the bars. “That was just the best experience, ever,” Genovese said. “I can’t really describe that feeling.”

Before joining the Sacramento State Gymnastics team last fall, Genovese was competing for a bid on the 2004 Athens Olympic team. After the team had been chosen and sent to Greece, without her on the plane, she looked to college.

At 5-feet-tall, Genovese came to Sac State as the only elite-level gymnastics, as a freshman to boot, in school history.

“I love the coaches, they’re really good people,” said Genovese.

“I’m very happy with her progress,” Sac State coach Kim Hughes said. “In the first two competitions she has nailed beam both times.”

Genovese has had to overcome another challenge this season. In December, she hyper-extended her elbow and has been forced to wear a clunky brace for support in her performances.

Just this week has Genovese practiced her high difficulty routines on floor and beam without the brace.

Most people may give up their beloved sport given all these challenges, but Genovese pushes forward to maintain her position as one of the top athletes in her sport with great determination and a smile.

After all, the judges like a smile.