- May 11, 2026
- 1
- 8
Hello fellow gymnastics fans! I’m primarily into women’s gymnastics though I love the whole sport. I wanted to share a little bit about me + hopefully find a sense of community here.
I first got into women’s gymnastics around the Olympics, Paris 2024. I’m so grateful to God that I was alive in the same era as the greatest women’s gymnast maybe to ever live Simone Biles. Seeing her overcome adversity and reclaim everything was amazing. The standing ovation she got after her floor routine was one of the first times I’ve ever teared up watching anything. I loved some of the other amazing and talented gymnasts too. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil’s pride and joy. Simone vs Rebeca is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports in my opinion.
I transferred to a university for the 2025-2026 school year and got into NCAA college level gymnastics too. My favorite team is Alabama. While I go to a Midwestern university I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend Alabama vs University of Illinois at UIUC at the start of my Spring break.
If you’re like I was for a long time and you’re a gymnastics fan but you haven’t attended an event yet, you need to as soon as possible. There’s something special about seeing it in person.
Uneven bars is my favorite apparatus and I was lucky enough to be able to see the top three gymnasts in the country (including #1 Chloe and #2 Azaraya from Alabama) on that apparatus in person. Not to mention Azaraya getting the first 10 of her NCAA career.
Love Birt is one of my favorites on the team just for the very visible adversity she’s had to overcome, a very unfortunately timed injury that took away her freshman season and yet she fought to come back. And she had just returned the meet prior to that (vs Kentucky).
What REALLY stuck with me from the whole experience were two things though.
1. Gabby Gladieux’s floor routine. Gabby is something special, truly a crowd pleaser. In spite of what I said before about Simone’s floor routine, I think it was more because it was the culmination of her redemption tour after all the apparatuses. I’ve never really resonated much with floor. Seeing the way Gabby does floor though… I’m going to miss her next season. She took someone who overlooked that apparatus and made me feel alive, made me realize that it’s an artform all to itself. THAT is what attending one of these events in person and seeing ALL of these incredibly talented athletes performing can do.
2. The way the rest of the team acted throughout the meet but especially during Gabby’s routine. Alabama is one of the best teams in the country, in my opinion, for the girls having a clear sense of community and camaraderie with each other. The way they’re so supportive to each other after everything. And especially seeing them in the background vibing to Gabby’s floor music. Something I’ve always admired about women’s sports is just how close and tightly knit the teams tend to feel. Alabama women’s gymnastics is the embodiment of that to me. They remind me that real connection and support is possible in this world.
2.5. The way Jamison in particular supports Gabby, screaming and cheering for her, running along the sides as Gabby does her routine. I’d feel remiss for not mentioning her contribution specifically.
Anyways I’m pretty new at this whole thing so I’m also looking to learn and understand something that’s unlocked so much personal enjoyment for me.
Hope everyone’s having a great day! God is good!
I first got into women’s gymnastics around the Olympics, Paris 2024. I’m so grateful to God that I was alive in the same era as the greatest women’s gymnast maybe to ever live Simone Biles. Seeing her overcome adversity and reclaim everything was amazing. The standing ovation she got after her floor routine was one of the first times I’ve ever teared up watching anything. I loved some of the other amazing and talented gymnasts too. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil’s pride and joy. Simone vs Rebeca is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports in my opinion.
I transferred to a university for the 2025-2026 school year and got into NCAA college level gymnastics too. My favorite team is Alabama. While I go to a Midwestern university I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend Alabama vs University of Illinois at UIUC at the start of my Spring break.
If you’re like I was for a long time and you’re a gymnastics fan but you haven’t attended an event yet, you need to as soon as possible. There’s something special about seeing it in person.
Uneven bars is my favorite apparatus and I was lucky enough to be able to see the top three gymnasts in the country (including #1 Chloe and #2 Azaraya from Alabama) on that apparatus in person. Not to mention Azaraya getting the first 10 of her NCAA career.
Love Birt is one of my favorites on the team just for the very visible adversity she’s had to overcome, a very unfortunately timed injury that took away her freshman season and yet she fought to come back. And she had just returned the meet prior to that (vs Kentucky).
What REALLY stuck with me from the whole experience were two things though.
1. Gabby Gladieux’s floor routine. Gabby is something special, truly a crowd pleaser. In spite of what I said before about Simone’s floor routine, I think it was more because it was the culmination of her redemption tour after all the apparatuses. I’ve never really resonated much with floor. Seeing the way Gabby does floor though… I’m going to miss her next season. She took someone who overlooked that apparatus and made me feel alive, made me realize that it’s an artform all to itself. THAT is what attending one of these events in person and seeing ALL of these incredibly talented athletes performing can do.
2. The way the rest of the team acted throughout the meet but especially during Gabby’s routine. Alabama is one of the best teams in the country, in my opinion, for the girls having a clear sense of community and camaraderie with each other. The way they’re so supportive to each other after everything. And especially seeing them in the background vibing to Gabby’s floor music. Something I’ve always admired about women’s sports is just how close and tightly knit the teams tend to feel. Alabama women’s gymnastics is the embodiment of that to me. They remind me that real connection and support is possible in this world.
2.5. The way Jamison in particular supports Gabby, screaming and cheering for her, running along the sides as Gabby does her routine. I’d feel remiss for not mentioning her contribution specifically.
Anyways I’m pretty new at this whole thing so I’m also looking to learn and understand something that’s unlocked so much personal enjoyment for me.
Hope everyone’s having a great day! God is good!
