University of Minnesota Athletics
My Gymnastics Story: Hanna Nordquist
3/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
The sport of gymnastics is no easy feat. The years of tough training both mentally and
physically push gymnasts to their limits in order to succeed at the highest level.
Gophersports.com sat down with the University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team to learn
where each of these 13 women came from in order to call themselves Golden Gophers. The
sport of gymnastics is no easy feat. The years of tough training both mentally and physically
push gymnasts to their limits in order to succeed at the highest level. Gophersports.com sat
down with the University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team to learn where each of these
13 women came from in order to call themselves Golden Gophers.
Gymnastics has been the culprit of both the highest and lowest moments of my life. Gymnastics is one of those sports that you do not truly know what the athlete is going through unless you have been there; in the gym for 4+ hours, sweating more than you can possibly believe, getting rips the size of half dollars, pushing through injuries that you should not be pushing through, beating up your body to the point of pure exhaustion. This doesn’t sound too fun, does it? Well, I am going to be completely honest with you, it isn’t. I do it because it’s my passion. I live it, breathe it and sometimes on those really rough days, I even eat it. (Referring to landing on your face and eating mat).
For me, it was sacrificing my childhood to be at the gym. No, I was not a normal child to say the least. I would wear my leotard under my clothes at school. I was at the gym more than I was home. I saw my coaches sometimes more than I saw my parents. For me, it was not going to any school dances because I was training. Missing prom because it fell over a meet weekend. Having everyone know me as “the gymnast” but nothing more. The list is never-ending. I dedicated my life to this sport and as crazy as it sounds, I would do it all over again.
Although I have been tested mentally and physically throughout my 19 years of being in gymnastics, it has undoubtedly shaped me into the person I am today. I can say with 100 percent certainty that choosing gymnastics and choosing to dedicate a good part of my life to the sport was the best decision I have ever made. I have learned, grown and have met some of the most incredible people throughout my years in my sport. Remembering the people who stuck by your side for all those years makes the hard days even more worth it and I couldn’t be more proud to be a University of Minnesota gymnast.
Love,
Hanna
