Dear Gymnastics

You person been pinch maine for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember.

Before I knew what assemblage gymnastics meant.

Before I knew what nan SEC was.

Before I knew really overmuch you would style who I am.

You gave maine structure. You gave maine discipline. You gave maine immoderate of my closest friendships and nan lessons that would travel maine acold beyond nan gym. For a agelong time, you were besides really I defined myself — nan point group pointed to and said, “That’s Elise. She does gymnastics.”

And for illustration astir kids who autumn successful emotion pinch this athletics early, I had a vision. I imagined nan large arenas, nan packed crowds, nan emotion of competing astatine nan highest level of assemblage gymnastics. I thought I knew precisely what that way would look like.

But gymnastics seldom follows nan way you tie arsenic a kid.

There were injuries astatine nan incorrect times. Recruiting slowed. While others committed early, I was still working, still hoping, still trying to beryllium I belonged. Eventually, Towson became my location — and it was nan champion point that could person happened to me. They believed successful maine erstwhile not galore others did. They gave maine nan chance to grow, to compete, to find assurance again.

And I’m everlastingly grateful for that.

But location on nan way, I started to consciousness a quiet mobility successful nan backmost of my mind.

What if?

What if I ne'er explored everything this athletics could springiness me?

What if I walked distant wondering really acold I could person gone?

What if I near gymnastics pinch regrets?

That was nan hardest part. Entering nan transportation portal wasn’t breathtaking astatine first — it was terrifying.

There were moments I wondered if I had made a mistake, if nary 1 would want me, if I had conscionable derailed everything. But arsenic nan conversations started, thing shifted. Coaches reached out.

Opportunities opened. And for nan first time, I realized I wasn’t conscionable chasing a dream — I was being invited into one.

When I started looking for my adjacent step, I knew precisely what mattered. I wanted civilization — not conscionable a adjacent team, but a group wherever each personification was bought in. I wanted corporate goals. I wanted to beryllium portion of a programme chasing thing bigger than immoderate 1 individual. I wanted nan afloat collegiate diversion acquisition — resources, support, and group invested successful maine not conscionable arsenic a gymnast, but arsenic a person.

And past I recovered Missouri.

From nan beginning, it felt different. The conversations were genuine. The liking was real. The questions weren’t conscionable astir routines aliases scores — they were astir my goals, my classes, my life extracurricular nan gym. When I visited, I saw a squad that believed successful each other. I saw coaches who pushed athletes to beryllium their champion while besides caring astir who they were disconnected nan floor. I saw resources that supported each facet of nan student-athlete acquisition — academic, athletic, and personal.

Most importantly, I saw a civilization wherever everyone was each in.

I retrieve watching Missouri compete earlier I ever wore nan uniform. I wasn’t conscionable watching routines — I was watching reactions. How did they respond to mistakes? How did they grip adversity? What did nan squad look for illustration erstwhile things weren’t perfect? And what I saw was a group that stayed connected, stayed confident, and kept fighting for each other.

That told maine everything I needed to know.

When I arrived successful Columbia, location were moments that felt surreal. I had worked my full life for opportunities for illustration this, and abruptly I was surviving them. But what made it typical wasn’t conscionable nan shape — it was nan people. The teammates who welcomed me. The coaches who believed successful me.

The shared ngo that made each practice, each meet, each situation consciousness meaningful.

And past came nan moments you dream about.

Standing pinch a squad chasing history.

Competing alongside women who refused to backmost down.

Feeling nan power of a programme rising together.

Those are nan moments that punctual you why you took nan leap.

Looking backmost now, I recognize this travel gave maine thing I didn’t moreover cognize I needed. It gave maine closure. It gave maine confidence. It gave maine nan chance to decorativeness my profession without wondering “what if.” Most of all, it gave maine a spot that felt for illustration location — moreover though I didn’t commencement here.

To nan gymnast who mightiness beryllium reference this, wondering astir her ain way — whether you’re successful precocious school, successful college, aliases considering a transportation — spot yourself. Look for nan spot wherever nan civilization matches your ambition. Look for group who put successful you arsenic much than an athlete. Look for teammates who observe you and situation you. Look for a programme that is chasing thing together.

Gymnastics has fixed maine everything — nan community, nan lessons, nan resilience. But it besides taught maine that nan travel doesn’t person to beryllium linear to beryllium meaningful. Sometimes nan dream you imagined arsenic a kid doesn’t disappear. Sometimes it conscionable waits until you’re fresh for it.

And erstwhile you find nan correct place, it becomes moreover amended than you imagined

Love always,