(One in a series)

Lynda Rolston Krause put everything into her life at 100 percent from her athletic skills, her school work and her career aspirations.

From her first vault, spin and tumble in gymnastics, Krause went full board and for more than 30 years of hard work, devotion, immense skill and years of sacrifices, she became an elite gymnast.

With that non-stop working determination, it has led her to not only being a successful gymnast but also a Rome Sports Hall of Fame nominee.

On Sunday, Krause will be recognized for all of her contributions, as she will be one of six members that will be inducted into the Rome Sports Hall of Fame. Krause will be inducted along with Nicholas A. Bottini, Dennis Skibitski, Kurt M. Vander Bogart, Carl Calnero and Mark Anken.

"I think it’s very exciting and an honor to be thought of and included with a great group of people," Krause said. "It’s also great to join along side my coach Jill Brodock who was instrumental in my career."

At nine years old, Krause loved how her neighbors, the Skogland girls, would tumble, flip and summersault in their backyard. When she learned it was part of their gymnastics training, she knew she had to join in and immediately got with the program at the Rome Family YMCA.

Krause then moved on to become a highly regarded performer with Valley Gymnastics under the teachings of her coach and current Rome Sports Hall of Famer Broduck.

"Jill was really focused, positive, determined and had an outlook that we were there to succeed," Krause said. "She taught perseverance, determination, motivation, seeking to do the best you can, and learning how to accept defeat and winning gracefully," she said.

In 1977 when she was in junior high school in Rome, Krause competed nationally in USGF and AAU events all over the country and always finished in the top tier of the floor exercise, balance beam, vault and uneven bars.

The following year, she was named a McDonald Corporation National Gymnast of the Month and was picked for the Dial All-American National Gymnastics team in 1979.

"Coming in second at the Junior National Championships in 1979 is what stands out the most in my career," she said. "I wasn’t that highly ranked coming in so I was kind of an underdog. There was an HBO special there at the meet, and the announcer said there was a girl from Rome that came in second. That was exciting to hear," she added.

Krause also received numerous Empire State Games medals, and because of her vast skills and hard work, she earned a full four-year scholarship to the University of California, which is considered one of the top Division I ladies gymnastics programs.

In 1984, Krause was one of only 30 college gymnasts nationwide selected to serve as a gymnastics competition assistant and escort during the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She was assigned to assist scorers and judges, and to escort athletes at the uneven bars for women and parallel bars for men.

She earned the prestigious David X. Marks Award as an "Outstanding Student-Athlete" while carrying a 3.37 GPA and leading the Southern California nationally ranked gymnastics team, which she said was a tough challenge.

"I couldn’t take certain classes because it would be in the middle of gymnastics, so I would have to change my major several times," said Krause, who graduated with an English degree.

"It’s about managing your time and your extracurricular activities. In some sports you excel in the classroom and in the sport," she added.

Krause also said that when she graduated it was a sad feeling, knowing that her gymnastics career was over.

"It was very hard because it was my identity and I miss it," she said. "I looked at it as a job. When you do it for 12 years and start over, its hard, but I’ve been blessed the last 16 years as an attorney."

Krause still keeps involved with the sport and for 20 years has volunteered with the University of Utah’s gymnastics team.

Leaving her gymnastics career behind, Krause spent four years as a stock broker before spending three years in law school to later become a federal prosecutor and an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Utah. She specializes in immigration law and drug violation cases.

Krause said she credits her gymnastics regimen with providing her the life skills and the perseverance that is required to succeed in life’s challenges.

Sunday’s induction ceremony and awards dinner at the Beeches will be preceded by a public reception for the Hall of Fame inductees from 3-5 p.m. at the Rome Sports Hall of Fame located at 5790 Rome-New London Road, next to the Erie Canal Village.

Tickets for the awards dinner cost $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 12-and-under and are available for purchase at the Rome Sports Hall of Fame this week today through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

No tickets will be sold the day of the dinner.

Thursday: Hall of Fame inductee Kurt M. Vander Bogart