Katie was born and raised in Anderson  SC Started training in artistic gymnastics at the age of 3 and was a competitive gymnast for 13 years  winning several titles during her career  including 4 consecutive All Around State Championships in South Carolina (1997-2000)  1999 All Around Southeastern Regional Champion  1999 USAIGC National Floor Exercise Champion  2000 USAIGC National Balance Beam  Floor Exercise  and All Around Champion