Bending over backwards

Dumfries, Va. -- Juan Carlos Palma has a lot on his mind these days.

The artistic gymnastics coach at Dumfries-based Novaks gym, Palma had to leave the United States in November when his visa expired.

For nearly three months, Palma and his family waited in their native Chile as friends and colleagues stumped to get him back to Lake Ridge -- a neighborhood he, his wife and three children have called home for more than six years.

In January, Palma found out he could return on an O-1 visa, only given to those top individuals in the fields of science, arts, education, business and athletics. But less than three weeks after his arrival, Palma was wishing he was back in the lush, green countryside where he grew up.

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile and killed close to 1,000 people Feb. 27 destroyed his parents' century-old home situated between the capital city Santiago and the seaside town of Con-cepcion. His mother barely made it out of the house alive when one of the walls collapsed behind her.

Now, his parents and older brother are living in the back seat of a Chevrolet sedan they tried to sell a few years back but were unable to.

"When I am working in the gym, my mind is on gymnastics and I don't think about my par-ents," Palma said at his Lake Ridge home Wednesday. "But when I am here, watching the news, it's too much. Oh my gosh."

Simply 'amazing'

A former member of the Chilean men's national team, Palma brought his family to the U.S. in 2004.

He arrived with limited English skills but the know-how to make world-class gymnasts, evidenced by his experience and accolades garnered in his homeland.

From 2004 to 2009 at Apollo and then Gymnastics World, Palma had at least one competitor achieve a spot in USA Gymnastics' Talent Opportunity Program, or TOPs.

In 2009 -- before his move to Novaks -- Palma had four girls achieve TOPs status.

But time was running out on Palma's visa. He said he attempted to obtain his permanent residency card in 2006 with Apollo but was unable to finish the application process at the time due to lack of funds.

Enter Michele Hirata, the mother of gymnast Gennifer Hirata. She and several other parents banded to-gether in an attempt to bring Palma back from Chile on a new visa.

Part of the effort was acquiring enough support from the international gymnastics community. Among those writing letters on his behalf were three-time Olympic champion Svetlana Boguinskaia of Belarus, Bulgarian Olympic gymnast Ivan Ivanov and Virginia TOPs director Craig Tetreault.

In his letter, Ivanov used the word "amazing" three times, describing Palma and his achieve-ments.

"The U.S. needs Juan Carlos to be able to succeed in this sport to direct young gymnasts to future championships. I urge you to support his visa request," Ivanov wrote.

Based out of Fredericksburg's Paragon Gymnastics, Tetreault said Palma has "contributed to the continuing success of our nation's TOPs program and the sport as a whole."

It turns out these recommendations went a long way toward his visa acquisition, said Palma's attor-ney, Jennifer S. Varughese. In a typical O-1 visa case, it takes 15 days for a response from the federal government if you pay an additional fee. And typically immigration asks for more proof.

Varughese recalls, not only were there no questions, but the feds' response came in less than 15 days.

Balancing act

Palma is a rare coach -- one who demands excellence while at the same time knows when to back off.

That translates into not only a horde of medals and a good relationship with his team, but the approval of the toughest judge of all: parents.

"He's really cognizant of the fact that these girls are still young girls," said parent Michael Yenchochic, whose 8-year-old daughter Adriana competes for Palma. "He brings them along at a pace that he's comfortable with and they're comfortable with. He really watches them and how they're doing conditioning-wise and [whether] they are starting to burn out."

The Martinez family moved to Prince William County from Miami and after looking around for a gymnas-tics program; eventually discovering Palma. They couldn't be happier with the results.

This past year, 9-year-old Elena Martinez qualified for the TOPs program.

"He gets results because he's also serious," said Elena's father, Charlie. "Sometimes kids want to be kids, jump around and play on the trampoline."

A permanent stay?

Palma and his wife, Loreto, met with their immigration attorney on Friday. One of the questions he wants answered is whether a permanent residency card can be expedited in his case.

Not only is he dealing with the fact that his parents might not get governmental assistance for several months, but he has bills to pay like any other breadwinner.

And because of the terms of his visa, which expires in three years, only he can work. That means no full-time job for his wife, who was also a talented gymnast in Chile. That also means no seasonal or odd jobs for their 16-year-old son, Juan.

Typically, it takes five years after applying through a sponsor -- in this case Novaks -- to receive a resi-dency card. Once Palma receives that, restrictions will be lifted and his economic situation should improve.

In the meantime, Hirata said she will do anything it takes to keep him here, which includes contacting U.S. Sen. James H. Webb Jr.'s office, and contributing to a fundraiser for Palma's family in Chile.

"I will see this through and make sure he gets his green card as quickly as he can," Hirata said.

Those interested in assisting Palma's family can donate money to Novaks, located at 17535 Old Stage Coach Road. The funds will be used to purchase supplies to rebuild their home.

While Palma didn't come to the U.S. with the intention of staying permanently, his family has changed his mind. Sons Juan and Tomas and daughter Catalina have relished their time at Lake Ridge Middle School and Woodbridge High School.

And with posters of American music stars and athletes adorning their bedrooms, it's clear where their heart is now.

"My intention is to stay in this country," Palma said. "My children have grown up in this country, they live here and it's the reason I came back [from Chile]."

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.