With both parents born in Jamaica, Ayana is afforded the opportunity to apply for dual citizenship which makes the senior eligible to compete internationally for both countries.
The process to put her in a position to do so, however, has been an arduous task nearly five months in the making.
"A lot of paperwork," Lee, who helped steamroll Bridgewater to a seventh-place finish (108.9) at the 2012 NJSIAA team championships last fall, said. "In late May, my club coach, Juan Agudelo, found out both my parents were Jamaican and said I should apply for dual citizenship. And maybe, he said, maybe down the line and if I was ready, I could give it a shot. I thought about that and decided it was an opportunity, if missed, I would regret for the rest of my life."
In addition to applying for dual citizenship, Lee requires a Jamaican passport and a gymnastics certification card from the fifth-largest island country in the Caribbean. But paperwork and filling out forms were only a formality compared to the dedication it would take to compete with the world's best.
"I thought about that too: all the hard work, no days off," Lee, who finished ninth overall with a mark of 36.775 at the individual state championships, said. "I've been working towards this the entire summer."
