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Paige Calendine, who was born without legs, quickly became a star youth gymnast — competing in state and national competitions

Earlier this year, the 14-year-old had to step away from the sport because of her disability

Calendine opens up to PEOPLE about her journey with athletics and how she still stays connected to gymnastics, even though she no longer competes

Paige Calendine’s mom Heidi learned that her daughter had no legs on June 16, 2011, the day she was born.

Today, Paige, 14, lives with her mom, her dad Sean and her service dog Luna in Zanesville, Ohio, a small city roughly 50 miles east of Columbus — so small that she knows very few other people with physical disabilities. But Paige and Heidi tell PEOPLE that never stopped her from pursuing her athletic dreams.

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