Ruth was one of ten children born to Tony & Angeline (Jaskola) in Hesch Valley near Waumandee. Growing up on a farm during the depression was a challenge and Ruth remembers filling time doing cartwheels, dancing, and tumbling. The “Barn Dance Company” at St. Boniface Church would peak her interest in dance. Ruth vividly remembers two tap dancers which led her to beg her month for tap shoes. Although money was tight, she was provided a pair – but no lessons.

Competitive sports for girls at AHS were unheard of at that time, so Ruth was a drum majorette and a cheerleader. She graduated as salutatorian in ’48. Her oldest sister, who lived only blocks from the University of Chicago, insisted that Ruth attend college – so the story begins.

At orientation, a group put on a performance called Aero-theatre. Their performance of acrobatics, tumbling, ballet, dancing, juggling, gymnastics, and magic caught Ruth’s eye. She joined the club which provided her free training in all the things she love and wanted to do, she would perform acrobatics, trapeze, and adagio dancing.

While at Aero-Theatre, she watched a girl working on events that she had never seen before – gymnastics. It looked interesting and graceful, so Ruth joined. After three weeks of practice, she entered an AAU meet where she went on to win every event. She knew this was the sport for her.

She became more serious in the fall of 1949 working side by side with a ’48 Olympian. Ruth took up the balance beam, floor exercise, parallel bars, flying rings, and the pommel horse, although competition was limited due to the girls having to pay their own expenses. In 1952, Ruth entered her first national competition – also an Olympic trial – and placed 4^th in the All Around and earned a spot on the Olympic Team. She was named “Surprise Performer of the Meet”.

The gymnasts of the ’52 Olympic Team were pioneers of the sport. When the Russian team decided to compete, the international committee accommodated them and changed the events. The U.S. team had to learn new events that included the uneven parallel bars – an apparatus which di not exist in this county. No medals were won at the games, but Ruth was the 2^nd place member of the U.S. team – two tenths behind first. She describes the experience as a dream.

After the Olympic Games, Ruth was a National Champion in ’53, ’54, and ’55. She decline an invitation to compete in the Australian ’56 Olympics because of other interests and her marriage to Robert Hatyina. She and Bob raised their three daughters Cynthia, Lisa, and Linda in the Chicago area.