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For one week, 247 spellers will fill Constitution Hall for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The annual tradition puts young students and their love of words on display, but many of these spellers have other notable talents.<\/p>\n
Thanvi\u202fGatamaneni, a 13-year-old from Maryland, has spent years studying and competing in Bharata Natyam, a form of classical Indian dance. Balancing the two hobbies requires prioritization and careful time management.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet’s say I have a dance competition in the next week or so. I try to spend a bit more time on dance, and now that Scripps is getting closer, I strive to spend a lot more time spelling,\u201d Gatamaneni said.<\/p>\n
The skills she\u2019s honed on the dance floor will come in handy during her first appearance at Bee Week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you dance, you have to memorize all the steps \u2014 remember what comes next. And I think spelling is similar. You have to memorize which roots go with which language of origin, what letter comes next, and things like that,\u201d Gatamaneni explained.<\/p>\n
YY Liang from New York is making her second appearance on the national Bee stage this year. Beyond spending hours studying spelling every day, the 14-year-old also dedicates time to the tennis court. She says losing a tennis match is easy to handle, but hearing the dreaded bell after misspelling a word is worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you play tennis matches and lose one, it’s fine. I can play another match. I can beat the same person another day. I can improve. But in the spelling bee, when you hear the ding, you’re out \u2014 and it’s hard to tell whether you’ll ever get back in another year, especially if it’s your last year. Then you’re gone forever,\u201d Liang said.<\/p>\n
Many spellers dabble in sports, but Sophia Garcia from Nevada stands out as a competitive fencer. It\u2019s a hobby that helps calm her nerves when her bout is with the dictionary.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith fencing competitions, they’re also very nerve-wracking, and it\u2019s helped me develop better ways to deal with it \u2014 like breathing exercises,\u201d Garcia explained.<\/p>\n
Other common talents among this year\u2019s spellers include tae kwon do, robotics, and mastery of the Rubik’s cube. But during Bee Week, it\u2019s their skilled spelling that will take center stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n