The 29/1
Official Podcast of the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program. 29 Sports, One Team. The show that brings you into the lives of student athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther Sports Community. Bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join Rodney Vellinga and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as they dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
The 29/1
Finding Balance with Big 10 Champion Sarah Moraw
Sarah Moraw, a 2022 West Ottawa graduate and current gymnast at the University of Minnesota, sits down with us on the 29/1. From overcoming the mental hurdles of her freshman year to clinching a victory on the beam at the Big Ten Championship, Sarah's story is one of resilience and passion.
We reminisce about her involvement in multiple sports, running the "Circus" play in a lacrosse game, and the extraordinary support from her flexible coaches. Sarah's return to her old training facility, seeing the evolution of the program, brought a mix of emotions and reflections on how far she has come with the unwavering support from her mentors.
We dive into the impact of sports outreach programs like Team Impact, sharing how they bring joy and opportunities to children with chronic illnesses. Sarah speaks passionately about the transformative power of sports to unite communities and uplift spirits, especially highlighting the joy of integrating these kids into team activities. Wrapping up, we celebrate her triumphant win at the Big Ten Beam Championship, the thrill of performing in front of a home crowd, and the anticipation for the new gymnastics facility that promises to enhance the training environment. This episode is packed with Sarah's infectious energy and insightful reflections on balancing competitive sports with personal growth.
If you have a young athlete around, let them hear the words of Sarah Moraw.
This episode was recorded on August 16, 2024.
Podcasts drop weekly at 6 AM every Monday morning just in time for that morning commute or workout. Please like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review. Even share with someone who might like to listen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know each other a little bit better. The people who make West Ottawa Athletics what it is. Go WO!
who you are as a person and how you treat other people and how you perform and how you hold yourself in a way that is positive and humble, and whatever that is like. That speaks volumes, way more than a record and a record book, a medal around your neck.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program and you're listening to the 29.1 Podcast 29 sports, one team, the show that brings you into the lives of student-athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther sports community, bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join myself and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as we dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
Speaker 3:Hey everybody, thanks for joining us once again here on the 29.1 podcast. Today's episode was a pure joy to record. Bill and I had a sensational time sitting down with this incredible, accomplished athlete with some of the best energy I have ever been around yeah 2022.
Speaker 4:West Ottawa grad and current Minnesota Golden Gopher gymnast, Sarah Murrah. Sarah's coming off a Big Ten championship in the balance beam and talks about her experience in the Twin Cities and working through some mental hurdles that she had to go through during her freshman year at Minnesota.
Speaker 3:If you're having a bad day, this might lighten the load. Sarah Mara, university of Minnesota, golden Gopher, up next on the 29.1. Let's get to it. Well, hey, everybody, welcome back to the 29.1 podcast. It is great to have you along for today's podcast. I'm in the studio with two absolutely great people, one of course being our athletic director, bill Kennedy, who I've gotten to know a lot over the past few years. So I can say we're getting a little tight. It's kind of fun to get to know him a little bit better. And we have another person in the studio who is a good friend of my daughter's. Who is it?
Speaker 1:It's me, Sarah. I'm so excited to be here with you guys.
Speaker 3:It's Sarah Marat everybody.
Speaker 4:Yeah, sarah's a 2022 West Ottawa graduate, entering her junior year at the University of Minnesota, where she competes in the gymnastics program. A specialist in beam and vault, a high flyer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, high flyer, I've done a crash course in gymnastics over the last little bit and I'm absolutely in awe. We'll talk about that in a little bit, but you're back in town for what? About three weeks or so, right?
Speaker 1:Yep, a solid three weeks. We have a different training schedule, so we get may at home and then we're there for june and july and then we're back at home for august and then back to the grind in september.
Speaker 3:So short, little time back here, but cherishing every moment yeah, you're going down a little nostalgia path, walking in these halls, or what yes, for sure, like the aroma and everything, I'm just like back in high school right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you said the aroma, which was really kind of caught me off guard. Usually it's the visuals oh yeah, these halls but it's the smell. For you, what is that? What's it from?
Speaker 1:Um, a lot of different things. We used to compete like our home meets were here. So like the smell of like the gym and then, I think, also just like going to like a basketball game, like and watching like my peers and classmates too. It's just like that camaraderie and the energy that went along with that too, and just the excitement of being able to be a part of that was crazy.
Speaker 4:But that's way better than I thought. I thought it was like the aroma coming from the locker, like a locker or something that doesn't seem to be.
Speaker 3:Uh, you've been hanging out with some friends. When you get back I know this is different for me. You know my daughter, claire, pretty well. You guys have done some sports together. You guys were able to hang out the other night. What's that like to come back and see some people from your past.
Speaker 1:It's so nice to catch up. I think we all have busy schedules when we're back at school and so making that time to send a quick text here and there is great, but face-to-face is so much better and just being able to see them and hear them and get the whole experience from their body language too and just hear how they are doing in their, their year went and stuff like that too. So it's been really nice to catch up with everyone and just kind of see where they're at in life and their life and their different chapters, and it's so fun to hear everyone's stories.
Speaker 3:So yeah, it's so fun. I always get a great thrill of just spending some time with some old friends, because it's different, you know, like people that know you for a while. They just know you, you don't have to pretend to be anything. You can just be yourself for sure. Yeah, so that's really great. Now, you, it is a busy schedule when you're here, but I heard you've also had time to play some board games with your family. Is that the case?
Speaker 3:oh yes, we're very competitive, but it's fun for sure you, uh, you're playing some splendor and some machi coral right now.
Speaker 1:I heard yes, those are our two new ones with, like my immediate, four, so that's been your immediate four. You're talking about your family yes, yes, the immediate my mom, dad, brother and me, and then when we get to the extended family it gets a little different play some card games more euchre and like shanghai, which is another like sets and runs game, and then at home with friends, uh, or at school, I guess now it's more like strategic fun. Um, we play a lot of um, secret, hitler, katan, those types of things love it.
Speaker 3:Yes, this is all foreign bill bill has, I think, one of his eyes actually just closed.
Speaker 4:I have never been a guy that has really been into board games cards. People are always like, hey, come over and play Euchre. And I'm like, eh, maybe it's just the East Coaster in me, Maybe it is.
Speaker 1:True, I think it is a Midwest thing. Euchre, for sure, yeah, like whenever I play.
Speaker 3:People are like you know, it's like the inner nerds coming up. No, no, my nerds right on the outside. Like you don't have to go deep.
Speaker 4:I love this stuff so yeah, we played a little bit of spades in college, but that was about it. Yeah, it's a whole other era now, but it's a different era.
Speaker 3:Machi koro, we've played that for a long time. Yes, that's really fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 3:We just or I played for the first time actually last week, but okay my parents have had it for a couple months now, but yeah, a real, a real good trick in that game is actually try and get your airport first okay well, not first, first, but every once in a while. If you get your airport first, you get 10 bucks every turn. If you don't build something, people are tuning out. We're moving on all we go.
Speaker 1:Matt, don't listen to this.
Speaker 3:Well, you had a great season this past year, which we're going to get into. You were a Big Ten champion on the beam Congratulations, Thank you and we're going to get in more to that. But that was amazing. Just what an accomplishment from being a little girl over at Champion to doing that. But yeah, congratulations, We'll keep going. But now what's really interesting for us Go ahead, Bill.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So you know, as we know, here at West Ottawa we've got 29 sports, thus the 29-1 kind of slogan that we use. Gymnastics is not a school sport, but one of the things that's been really important to me is that we've. But one of the things that's been really important to me is that we've had the opportunity to send some girls into the Big Ten in the world of gymnastics and we always recognize you as a Panther. You may not have ever gotten a chance to wear the black and white on the beam or on the vault, but your photos are hanging in the walls on the walls just like everybody else. Along with the Lepster sisters who are at MSU want to make sure that, uh, we continue to share kind of your story and your journey through social media posts, as we were kind of setting up to sit down with you. The one memory of you that I that is very vivid for me is actually it comes from the COVID summer right, the time that we all want to forget.
Speaker 3:Let's talk about the good times.
Speaker 4:But we would set up, you know, out at the track every day and check in student athletes to come in and get workouts in. And I just remember the number of coaches who came up to me after a week or two of workouts and they're like who is this? Sarah Mara, kid, cause she is crushing it. Talk to us a little bit about, like being a part of those workouts, right and and kind of forming maybe some bonds, uh, with your fellow students. Um, even though you weren't a traditional West Ottawa student athlete.
Speaker 1:That's so funny that you say that, Cause I remember you coming up to me too and I was like I promise I play West Ottawa sport once too.
Speaker 1:No, it was great. So that, yeah, COVID summer, so we the gym was closed from March until the middle of July, so we were out of the gym and like it's not like you can just go to the park and shoot a hoop, Like there's not really anything that you can kind of compare and mirror the sport. So that was definitely hard. We were on Zoom every day with the team and working out and so just like having some face-to-face contact again and like working out with someone right beside you was amazing and I'm forever grateful that you guys opened that door for me to be able to participate in. And yeah, it was fun to do something different that was alongside of my peers I don't get to hang out with a lot, and so being able to wake up in the morning, do some more running, which you don't do a lot of was a great. You know, cross training and just experience to kind of see what my other friends and teammates do. So yeah, it was great.
Speaker 4:Well, I know for sure that we had you know volleyball coaches, tennis coaches, folks that were like we need to get this girl playing for us?
Speaker 3:Well, you did play lacrosse. What year was that for you?
Speaker 1:I did. I played my freshman year and then I technically was on the team sophomore year within COVID, so we didn't actually play.
Speaker 3:That was the first time I personally came across Sarah Mara, what was really funny. Back you hopefully you do remember this, but you and my daughter Claire, when you would get your mouthpieces in and your eyewear on, you were indistinguishable from each other.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, yeah, basically twins, I think, since, like sixth grade too, it was like we would sit in like math class together and the teacher would be like Claire and I'd be like, oh, like, oh, sarah, it's like me over here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I found myself like, oh, that's a nice move, wait, huh what. And then, oh, that's Sarah. I was like this is crazy, but a lot of fun. Back in those times, do you remember, uh, what you did against Grand Haven, that one game, remember that?
Speaker 1:yes go. Came up to me our coach and he was like, would you feel comfortable like doing a flip on the field? And I was like I mean, yes, I'm capable, but what do you want me to do? And he's like I think we have to have a play and it's going to be called circus. And I was like, okay, what does that entail? And he's like, so, actually, you're not really going to have the ball, you're just going to drop your stick and do a flip. And I was like, hmm, I don't really know how I feel about this, but it was in play and it did, and it drew everyone's eyes.
Speaker 1:And it drew everyone's eyes, that's for sure it did.
Speaker 3:The opposition was turned away from the ball going. What is going on here? It was that distraction technique. Distraction technique.
Speaker 4:for sure, I've seen the basketball team who has a guy get down on all fours and bark like a dog?
Speaker 3:That was the lacrosse equivalent that year. Oh man, well, what's really cool for you. But you did get a chance to do like you played volleyball in middle school.
Speaker 1:My wife coached you actually back then.
Speaker 3:And this is kind of uncommon for a gymnast to do right.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. Yeah, it's practically unheard of, I would say. I was very fortunate enough to have a club coach who was super flexible with me and kind of was encouraging me in my own dreams to do something different and be a part of a school sport as well, and then also very thankful for lacrosse coaches as well, too, and volleyball, who were able to also be flexible with me and kind of work with my schedule too, because it's not easy to work around a four hour practice every day. But we were able to do that and able to do that, and so, yeah, it was great. I loved both experiences, obviously in a perfect world.
Speaker 1:I would have loved to do it throughout high school, but just in the long run of keeping me healthy and on track I knew that wasn't the case, but I honestly attribute a lot of probably my success and endurance in the sport to being able to do other things, Cause I wasn't burned out Like a lot of other girls. My age were at the point of you know the 30 hour weeks and everything. So, yeah, it was a great opportunity to step aside, try something different. I think it made me a better athlete too, in terms of um, gymnastics is so individual and club very different in college, where it's very team oriented. But do something where I'm part of a bigger team, um, work on that hand hand eye coordination too, which is a lot different from stepping on the beam.
Speaker 4:But, yeah, it was great and so you kind of alluded to it a little bit. Is the the grind of being a high level gymnast? You're back for three weeks and you've got some time off, but you're not really off because you're back for three weeks and you've got some time off but you're not really off because you're back at the old facility. What's it like going back into that facility where you really grew up and getting to go back there and be around your coaches again?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's, it's great, it's crazy Again, kind of like being back here. It's kind of the all the memories start to flood back into the brain a little bit. But yeah, definitely not off. Stop in for a few hours a day not as long as normal, but it's always nice to have a little bit of a break but also kind of keep it up a little bit. It's good to see a lot of old teammates, but also there's a lot of new faces that I don't know at all.
Speaker 1:So it's been fun to kind of get to know them a little bit and see how the program has changed. My head coach, who was there for oh gosh, I don't even know how long, but she just stepped down this summer.
Speaker 3:So and who was that?
Speaker 1:Tammy yes.
Speaker 3:Tammy Shasma Shout out to her for sure.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, 100%, oh, gee, right there. So, yeah, it's been great. Obviously, chalk on too, so I came from the gym earlier today, but, um, yeah, it's great to be there and kind of relive those moments again. Um, yeah, it's been good and that place has been very successful in producing high level gymnasts, um, all across the big 10, right, um, maybe talk to us a little bit about what's you know the culture within champion that has kind of allowed that to happen. Yeah, yeah, definitely a lot of success. Um, I would say the main thing was just like that family aspect. I mean, I would have said Tammy, I was in her group since I was in fifth grade, so definitely raised me like another mom, would I probably spent more time with her than my own mom at some points, just because it was school to practice and that she would be driving us to camps and meets and all the things too sometimes.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, she, I credit so much to her in the sense of creating just an atmosphere where people um, encouraging and lifting people up. I think a lot of obviously poor and bad things have come out about our sport in the past few years too, and so it kind of gets a bad rep in the sense of a lot of coaches are very hardcore and beyond strict in multiple levels and not healthy in many ways as well. But I was very thankful to grow up in a very healthy environment where not only was I coached with kind words and smiles and laughs, but taught the importance of having fun and truly um, not being punished for not like my circumstances or anything like that. So definitely amazing experience. And then even like comparing my own stories to my teammates now at minnesota, I definitely was one of very few to have that great experience in clubs, so I would never trade that for the world when we're in like this rinky, dinky little champion, but I love it and it that's will ever, forever will be home.
Speaker 4:So yeah, probably pretty cool too is the your college schedule is being released and then you're going through the season to run into some of those old teammates from champion right friendly faces, even though they're wearing opposite colors yes, no, it's great.
Speaker 1:Um, um. Yeah, I saw John and Stephanie like two times last year and we're just like running up to each other, like we're like don't mind us, we just need to like catch up for a second. Um, another teammate's going to be at MSU this year too. So, yeah, it's super exciting and just like the bonds that you create across even different gyms too, is amazing to run into someone like in Alabama or in Idaho or whatever it might be. So it's exciting for sure.
Speaker 3:I'm glad you had a really good experience there, because, boy, did you spend some hours there. Malcolm Gladwell, of course, in his 28, sorry 2008 book Outliers, talks about the 10,000 hours, and 10,000 hours, of course, is what you need to become an elite in your sport. Have you ever tried to calculate yours?
Speaker 1:I haven't. Oh, I have, I really need to, and we're going to play around right now.
Speaker 3:I'm going to pull up this calculator and I'm an old dude so it's going to take me half a second. All right, we're going to have some fun here. How many hours a week? How you started at a second or third grade?
Speaker 1:right, I started like the little little classes in like when I was three All right, let's go to where you were putting some hours in. Yeah, putting some hours Okay, I was probably like six, so about it was like 20 to 24 a week.
Speaker 3:All right, we're even going to go on the low end. We're going to say 20 a week times 50 weeks a year. We're going to take a couple weeks hours a year just there from age six to. We're gonna times that by 20 now, so 14 by 14, so you put in 14 000.
Speaker 3:I didn't really need the calculator for that once I got through the thousand mark, but you put in 14 000 hours. You know, of all the sports that we talk about, whether it be football or basketball or volleyball, there is not a sport to me. Maybe swimming does, but there is not a sport to me. Maybe swimming does, but there's not a sport that compares to that to me. Like the hours you put in. I'm glad you had a great experience, but the amount of sacrifice and work you've put in, do you ever like look back on going? Wow, I actually put that much time in. Like, what's that like for you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is weird to look back and be like recall on the countless days, hours, blood, sweat, tears, all the things, and just like looking back like I knew nothing different, like I was just always there and those are like the beginning memories too, and so, yeah, it is different, it's weird to look back, but I, like I said, haven't known anything else.
Speaker 3:So you had a. You have not lost your love for the sport else. So you've had a. You have not lost your love for the sport. Uh, one thing that showed me that you haven't lost your love for your sport was when you were doing some recruitment stuff. You sent out some pictures when you were being recruited. Your mom told me can you tell me, tell us what those were? Oh, goodness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we had during like my recruiting process I did like a fun fact Friday, so that was kind of my way to kind of set myself apart from other athletes trying to get to the same schools. So I guess I don't know exactly which ones you're referring to, because there was many.
Speaker 3:Well, just in general, I love to jump off things.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, I love to jump off things for sure. So yeah, any little fun fact I could hint at that made me a little bit different Love to throw out there. But yes, going back to jumping off things, I'm very adventurous, I love the thrill. So any like cliff into water on vacation, like we have to go there, like there's no question, like we're stopping, so definitely a lot of heads turn flipping off the cliffs, but my brother joins me. We'll even get my dad in there sometimes, but it's great.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, I love the thrill love anything outdoors adventurous, I love it.
Speaker 1:Well, that is definitely proven, because I saw recently your brother celebrated a birthday and there was a backflip situation going into. Was that Lake Michigan, I would imagine? Wow.
Speaker 3:It's, it's it. It's really amazing the things that you do. Uh, I was gonna get to this a little bit later, but miles to talk about now. One of the things that's amazing about gymnastics is there's a lot of sports that we can relate to as human beings, as people, right? So bowling comes on on a saturday afternoon, which I'll watch. My family thinks I'm weird, but bowling will come on a saturday afternoon. I'll watch them. Like, yeah, I could do that. I could if I, if I put in the time, I could probably pull that off. You know, or you see somebody shooting an open basketball shot from the corner three. Well, I could probably nail that when I watch gymnastics. I am under no illusion. Nope, that we can do this, you know. I sat down, I said what's a question I really want to ask her, and one of the things that came to my mind was what is it like to be able to do what you do, like it's for us as regular humans?
Speaker 4:Yes, I'm putting us in that category. Just walking across the balance beam would be a struggle for me.
Speaker 3:What's it like for you to be able to do that?
Speaker 1:It's crazy. I think a lot of times too, because I've been doing it for so long, I just am like, even like the, like a basic cartwheel, or, like you said, walking across the beam, I'm like, oh yeah, you, like you guys could do it, like I would tell you that, like 100%, I'd be like, oh, you'd be fine, like it's fine.
Speaker 4:And then like you do not want to see me, I do.
Speaker 1:You can come in. Stop, in the way I like, bend down to pick up things off the floor I like just like lift my leg up, like it's just normal, and people are like, what are you doing? And I'm like sorry, this is normal for me. Oh, that's so great.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was last night, as I'm. You know, I'm an addict when it comes to sports. So when I'm at home in my free time I'm watching sports. And then last night I'm tuning into Hard Knocks on HBO and you got Simone Biles, his husband, who was on the Chicago Bears, and he's kind of come back and the guys are asking him questions and he talks about his wife and the things that she does and he obviously is a high-level athlete in the NFL and they show a clip of them doing a rope climb.
Speaker 1:I love this video.
Speaker 4:It's so good, um, so you've got this NFL guy on one rope and his wife, uh, simone Biles, on the other rope, and she grabs the rope, she sticks her legs straight out in front of her, so she's at a 90 degree angle and she is upper body strength up the rope like boom, so fast and he is all over the place. His body's all contorted. He gets about halfway up and she's already done. Yeah, um so, yeah, I I think that speaks to gymnasts just do things that normal people cannot.
Speaker 1:It is true. It is cannot. It is true, sarah, it is different. Yeah, it is true.
Speaker 3:We're going to get into some detail now of your career, if that's all right with you. Well, first of all, the season for gymnasts is usually in the winter, what January through April.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:If things go your way right and then you're in Minnesota during that time, let's talk about you just on campus at the University of Minnesota a little bit. What's it like to be there?
Speaker 1:It's good. I think the most common question I get is is it cold there? It's pretty much the same as here, so that's the same, I think. Honestly, the walking between North and South to prepare me for that as well. It's good. Less snow, but it's good. A lot of green spaces, which I love. Being in kind of near a big city, I was like kind of a little hesitant, just because I love nature and being outside, but they definitely do a great job with that. And just being with 40,000 people is crazy, just like I never really see a face again, which is really weird. So, like in a perfect world, I would have preferred a smaller school, but I like it. The excitement on campus is fun. Game days are fun for the most part. So, yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3:And what's and what's different for you now, too, is you have a team, a school team that you're on. Yes, how's that different?
Speaker 1:oh, it's so different, but way more fun, way more fun. Um, yeah, so in club it's very individualized kind of. If you fall, like it's on you, it affects you. But now it's kind of a bigger aspect and you got 17 other girls backs on your shoulders too, so it's definitely a different experience in terms of pressure and what that entails. But it's so like it's incredible and there's nothing else like it.
Speaker 4:When you like land something and like 18 people are just running towards you and like that's so sweet yeah, high-fiving hugs, whatever coach is lifting you up, like it's amazing, it's so fun, yeah it probably ingrains you even more so into the university community as well, right, because you're wearing those colors.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you're representing the school 100% yeah.
Speaker 3:You have had a really good first two years. It's not common and I could be wrong on this, but it's not common to be able to get there and compete right away. Right, you've been able to do that. I went through your bio on the University of Minnesota and I'm not going to go through it all because there's just too much to talk about, but you're pretty accomplished there. Really nice for you to be able to pull that off First year, first semester a breeze for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for the most part, Right I?
Speaker 3:mean you got into it. Your season doesn't start until second semester, more or less, but you got in. You had a group of people that you could do things with a nice smooth transition, other than getting your bike stolen during the first week.
Speaker 1:Worst day ever, worst day ever.
Speaker 3:So this is like part of sports. You have great energy. I love it. You had to get to. You had to get here too, in a way right, you had a bit of a thing you had to go through to get there. Can you tell me about what started to happen to you with schooling and the fact that, being a gymnast, you're shooting for perfection on everything that you do? How did that affect you and what started to happen?
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, kind of like how you mentioned, um first semester, I kind of had like a different experience than like most people. Kind of transitioning Like mine happened later where I was struggling. Um, first semester was great. I didn't end up fracturing my ankle like in October, so that kind of was like a little bit of a hindrance, but I think it was great for me just to it opened my eyes, just to look around and kind of get the feel for how this team aspect was supposed to work Right. I hadn't done that really for most of my career and so just being able to cheer everyone on and kind of get that lens was great and I think that like I wasn't really sad or upset or frustrated. It was a great experience for me to kind of sit back and learn and get a little stronger mentally and physically.
Speaker 1:Um, so yeah, I came back in in January, started the um meet season. I'm competed, beam involved consistently throughout that year. Um, and kind of the hitting point was a meet against Iowa and it was about like a third to a halfway through the season and so, beam, I was actually the anchor on beam, so kind of what that looks like what does that mean?
Speaker 1:you were the anchor yes, so there's six up on every event and five scores count and so you have like a lineup. So everyone's kind of in their particular spot and we get like a lineup each week like the day before the meet usually stays pretty consistent throughout the year but there might be some changes here and there and and so kind of. That anchor spot is all right if one person kind of messes up or falls earlier. Like it's kind of on you to continue to stay on the beam and perform well and be consistent. So that person is normally consistent, you can count on them and so as a freshman it was definitely like a big deal to be in that spot.
Speaker 3:That was you.
Speaker 1:That was me, yeah, so my freshman year and so kind of the beginning I didn't really think anything of it. When I was approached about it, I was just kind of like, yeah, I'm used to going last, like no one on my team likes to go first, so I'll just go last and like whatever and so. But it's like a totally different aspect when you're competing for your team too. No-transcript, the lineup and fortunately I performed well, like got a season high for the year, but we tied like with us, so we tied against Iowa. And so I was constantly like looking back and I was well, like got a season high for the year, but we tied, like with us, so we tied against Iowa. And so I was constantly like looking back and I was like, oh, if I just didn't do this one thing, if I pointed my toe here, like we would have won. Like it's on me, like I should have done better and it's, I think, something that is ingrained into us later on in college is like it's like, it's on everyone, right, even the people not in the lineup, and they're standing over there. Maybe they could have cheered louder Not really that that would affect your ability, but we're on an entire team and everyone has a role on this team, and so I don't think I really had that in my mind yet, and so I was constantly putting all the pressure on myself. So that was really hard.
Speaker 1:I came back the Monday after and I remember I was on ball and I just broke down. I was just bawling and my athletic trainer took me to the side and was like hey, what's going on? You've been really quiet lately. I just noticed something's off and I was just like I'm so overwhelmed. I was sleeping about three hours a night. I came back from class dinner at like 8 pm, would study till like midnight and then just my mind would spiral for like three hours at night of like I should be doing this right now, I need to do this like this is real stuff athletes yes, this is the real it is real and um beyond that.
Speaker 1:I was also having a lot of panic attacks too, which I had never experienced before. I would call my mom like not breathing, because I would just be so worked up and I like I would just cry into the phone like multiple times a day. I did not like gymnastics at this point. I didn't like school, and of course that perfectionism also was in the school realm as well.
Speaker 4:So, of course, like I needed to study way more than I needed or I thought I needed to, and you've always been a high achiever in the classroom. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So that was just kind of elevated in that scenario and so, um, yeah, so we kind of worked things out. I started seeing sports psych a lot, which was super helpful just to, um, hear another person's perspectives and kind of take my circumstances and my thoughts and like, separate them Right, um, cause your thoughts can do a lot, a lot to change what actually you perceive or what you is actually going on, and so that was super helpful. I had an amazing, amazing support support staff. Um, athletic trainer was awesome, um, obviously, sports like, and my coaches were more than encouraging and helpful in that time.
Speaker 1:And I was taken out of the Be Mine Up the next weekend and they kind of pulled me aside and were like we will put you in if you really want to, but we think like this is for the best and just for you to sit back and kind of reflect and just realize, like you like all the work that you put in, all the time, effort, whatever, and it's just I was putting so much of my identity in how I was performing instead of the person that I was in, just like the ability to do what I like was gifted and the ability that I was able to do. So that was super hard, definitely a low point, for sure, in my college career, but I don't think I would have been as successful or enjoyed even this last season as much as I did without that experience. Um, I remember I was calling to my head coach's office and it was one we have like one-on-ones with our coaches.
Speaker 3:We'll give a shout out to your head coach.
Speaker 1:Yes, Jenny Hanson, she's awesome. Yes, Um, and she was like do you know who won like the 53 in like 2012 at Minnesota? And I was like no, and she's like okay, like tell me like who your favorite teacher was in high school and college and why. And I was like I went on and on.
Speaker 4:Who was your favorite teacher in high school? Let's give them a shout out right now.
Speaker 1:Shout out Mr McNitt and Mr Myers, yes, loved them. Everyone was great, don't worry. And just like that was the realization. It didn't like totally fix my problem at that point, but just like realizing, like who you are as a person and how you treat other people and how you perform and how you hold yourself in a way that is positive and humble and whatever that is like. That speaks volumes, way more than a record and a record book, a medal around your neck.
Speaker 1:And I think that was kind of the perspective change I needed to just realize like there's much way more to me than my talent and my accomplishments and accolades, which I had been chasing after my entire life of just like what's next, and like I was never really satisfied with those things either. Right, you're on, even if you're on the top of the podium. It felt good for three seconds and it was like, okay, like what's next, like, and that's not, that's not how it should be right, you should be able to celebrate a little bit and find something that really defines you outside of winning. It's like how you carry yourself and do that and be a good teammate and cheer other people on. So, yeah, it was definitely a difficult transition for sure. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:You also?
Speaker 4:you got to enjoy the journey and you know you're the third now alumni that we've been able to sit down with and in all of those sit downs with Cooper Terpstra and Gabby Reynolds now you, they all go through. It's a very natural thing for a college athlete to go through times of doubt and you know real introspection and struggle like that. That's what sets, I think, college athletics apart from the high school realm right Because everyone is really good.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 4:So it's really I thank you so much for kind of sharing those in that journey with us because, our hope is that our current West Ottawa student athletes are going to hear some of this and it'll help them out when they get to that point.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure you also in, I believe, may of 2023, you also went to Kenya.
Speaker 1:I did yes.
Speaker 3:And this was empowering you through sport. This probably also your mom told me this also affected you somewhat, yes, but it's also kind of affected the your career choice. You kind of shifted a little bit, went to a different area. Can you speak to that a little bit?
Speaker 1:yeah. So I came into college thinking I was going to do kinesiology on the pre-pt track and then I had an incredible professor my freshman fall semester and she was taking kids to Kenya in May and I was like this is something I want to do, like I like I don't know what it was, but I was like I go. And so, again, shout out Jenny for letting me skip three weeks of training, but it's great.
Speaker 1:She always encourages those things. So it was amazing, but yeah, so I went to Kenya for three weeks. We visited over 20 different nonprofit organizations, that kind of work with kids in the slums and kind of poor areas of the communities and kind of use sport as an avenue to kind of pull them out of poverty, get them on the right track. Many times a lot of those athletes come to the US on like scholarships too, for sports as well. So it was just a very eye-opening experience to see how much sports can kind of unify people all over and it's just like this universal language. Obviously, a lot of them spoke some English too, as well as their Swahili, but even if I couldn't understand them again, that's like kicking a soccer ball with somehow just like this universal saying that we're connected.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that universal smile goes a long way, especially on the face of a child. For sure, I just saw a little bit of that with you know, going through the Olympics and that's when gymnastics probably gets its biggest boost.
Speaker 4:Right you have little girls all across the country now who are like I want to do that.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 3:You've also carried this to campus somewhat with Team Impact, so I talked to your mom about this and this just warmed my heart to hear this. Can you speak briefly to that, if that's all right?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So Team Impact is a nonprofit organization that pairs kids with chronic illnesses and disabilities with college sports teams all around the country. So my freshman year we were matched with a child. Her name is Jordan and she was 15 at the country. So my freshman year we were matched with a child Her name is Jordan and she was 15 at the time and she was a gymnast, an amputee, had some other illnesses as well, and I just fell in love with what our team got to do. We had her on the floor at every home meet. She was announced with us, got to help us in all the different areas on there.
Speaker 3:Did she get some of those great leotards?
Speaker 4:oh yeah, that's a fun, that's a fun part like just to watch, like just all the I don't know what the bedazzle is that what it is.
Speaker 1:There's so much fun anyways, but yours yours.
Speaker 3:Your teams look great too, so I'm sure she loved that yeah, um.
Speaker 1:so that was great and I wanted to be more involved so I applied to be a fellow Um. So there's kind of to get a perspective what does that mean exactly?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So my job, um, as a fellow for the university of Minnesota team impact campus, is that I'm kind of the bridge between like team impact and then the sports team. So I help with all the matches on campus in terms of so like we have seven, so like football, basketball, like a bunch of different sports have a kid that they're matched with, and so I um help create like awareness games that all the matches can come to. So I'll reach out to like our basketball and marketing team and be like hey, like I really think we should do this. Yes, oh, I love it.
Speaker 1:The planning in me loves it. So, um, yeah, and I'm like, okay, how can we do this? How can we have them sit courtside or whatever it might be? And then, yeah, they kind of helped me, a bunch of different teams helped me kind of put that together and get like the camera crew on board so they highlight them on the Jumbotron in their certain section and then get them to tour the locker room afterwards and whatever it might be. And I think it's a great time for not only the team to support their match but also the matches to kind of come together and spend time with each other too, and so that's been really exciting to see. And then I also do some medical outreach. So I've been to a few hospitals and kind of speak to them, reach out to them and talk to their head of staff and stuff like that, and kind of sit down with a PowerPoint and tell them about Team Impact and why they should continue to recruit kids and why they should come to the? U too.
Speaker 4:Did your involvement in the LINCS program here at West Ottawa maybe prepare you or influence you to kind of go in this direction? Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1:Yes, I absolutely loved being a link here. Um missed the kids so much and in fact kept in touch with many of them my freshman and sophomore year too um, throughout the email too. So that was awesome. But, yes, 100% was the Avenue I kind of wanted to continue to mirror and just kind of see the joy and just like the little things that make some other people happy is just incredible and just kind of keeps me grounded too, and just like enjoying the little moments in life too, because it's so easy to get caught up in the next big thing or big event, but there's so many little things to be grateful for too. So, yeah, yes, to answer your question.
Speaker 3:Yes, wow, sitting down with you right now, I just feel this incredible sense of joy and calm and peace that you have. It's fun to be around it.
Speaker 4:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3:Pure energy. Let's get to that wonderful moment, the Big Ten, where you won the Beam Championship A 9.925. We're staying away from perfection. We're not going to focus on the number, but it's a heck of a number. It's online. Got a chance to watch it. Incredible what you can actually do on a beam. Can you talk about that day, what it meant to you, that sort of thing?
Speaker 1:Oh man, it was awesome, especially being in front of a home crowd.
Speaker 1:I was able to have a lot of family and friends there, which was awesome to just be able to do that for them and in front of them for the first time in a while for some of them, and I think it was just so exciting.
Speaker 1:So the Big Ten championship is like split up into two different sessions, so like the lower six teams are in the first session and then the top four in the night session. So we were in the night session and you kind of want to be, just because you end up like scoring higher and all the things, and so we were, yeah, so excited to walk in. We yeah, it was just an unbelievable experience and just like the energy in that room and just being a part of like some of the best gymnastics in the country too and just being up against, like you said, former teammates and different friends I had met throughout my club years too, was an exciting experience. And just to do that alongside of all my 18 other sisters that I have now on the team is great, and so obviously coming up short of the team title was a little tough.
Speaker 3:By one-tenth. Just a bit right, yeah, one-tenth. One-tenth, michigan State, yes yes, they did amazing. Yeah, so some joy for Michigan State, obviously, and this was at Jenison Field.
Speaker 1:It was at Jenison yep and so, yeah, kind of, we ended on ball.
Speaker 1:They had one more beam girl to go and we ended and went 9-9-7-5. So almost a perfect 10, got 10 from one judge and 9-9-5 from the other, and we were just like holding our breath, unfortunately came up short. But I think, kind of just going back to everything I learned in my first semester too, that hard semester was just like I. Of course it was disappointing, right, and it's like hard to be that close and fall short, but it's just like another testament to like winning and losing is just, it's just part of the sport, right. I probably won't remember being like second or whatever it was, or like on the podium, but I'll remember like the small moments in the locker room where we're dancing ahead of time or we're cheering on each other, or the games that we play on the bus right there or whatever it might be. So I think it was just like another testament to just like soak in the moment and just be thankful for where I was at and just the experience that I was able to have for sure.
Speaker 3:And you have some really great support with that gopher nation, right Like you so you traveled a lot. You're on a plane. Yes A lot with your sport parents, and there's a group of people that they come with you, right, they travel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've got a rowdy group of gopher nation fans for sure, but I love it. It's awesome, awesome. Um, we have the gold and maroon uh overalls that a lot of the the dads wear. My dad loves sporting his gopher outfit. Um, he's got like the maroon and yellow like hair going he goes really he's that far. Yes, yes, yeah, it's you know, maybe like little embarrassing but I love him very much no, it's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we, it's funny. We, whenever we travel away, um the home crowd normally comes up to our parents and they're like you guys travel better than we do, and we're like 10 minutes down the road, and so I think it's just like a statement of how much like the community environment comes around, but also just like how much fun our parents have together too, and I think it's like fun to see them like grow relationships too and enjoy the journey as much as my teammates and I do as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really fun to you know when we get older. It's fun to be a part of that, Like whether you're a West Ottawa parent. For me, being a West Ottawa parent, I've met so many people at West Ottawa, just sitting in stands with them and you start talking sports, whatever, and it's really enjoyable. So I'll have to see if I start coloring my hair. I don't know if that's coming anytime soon Black and white.
Speaker 4:I've already got that going on. Have you seen this?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've seen that video. Bill's really gotten into it the last six months. That's for sure. What's really cool is you are also building they're building a new gymnast facility. I saw that sign the beam ceremony. Yes, Tell me, are you excited about that?
Speaker 1:Are you going to be able to get in there before you leave? Yeah, I'm over the moon about it. So they broke ground in March of this year and it should be finished in December, so it's been a long time coming. We basically, like the past, like 15 recruiting classes were promised a new gym, so it's been a long time coming. A lot of people that I'm thankful for paving the way before me. But yeah, we're super excited. We're right next to our athlete village and the football facility and all the other sports. We were definitely kind of out and far away a little bit, so it's going to be nice to be in one area, being able to go to class, go right to practice and then hit the dining hall right after that. So it's just, everything's going to be so convenient for sure.
Speaker 3:So that's going to be done this December.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's fast yes.
Speaker 4:That's really quick, yeah, when I start to think about the building projects we have going on and the amount of time that it takes to get through that.
Speaker 3:What classes do you have coming?
Speaker 1:up this fall. Yeah, so I'm taking a lot more of major specific courses. Um, so I'm studying human resource development now and so a lot of like org development stuff, um, kind of that way curriculum based classes, stuff like that and kind of how to like run a training program like for different, like new employees and stuff like that. So, yeah, be should be a good semester that's really fantastic.
Speaker 3:If you're listening to this podcast, take some time and watch sarah's beam routine. It's online, you can go. Find it the joy that you have when you finish your routine and you land. You are jumping around, you are so excited and you nailed that landing too right. Like for the non gymnast person, we always just say, oh, it's all about the landing.
Speaker 3:You nailed that landing and you are so happy. What? What were you feeling? I know it's kind of the the horrible sports question to ask, but I'm gonna do it for this time. What was that feeling like when you just hit that stuff?
Speaker 1:yeah, oh, just like the utmost joy, I think, and just being able to do it in front of a home crowd was or home for me, I guess a home crowd was amazing and just like seeing all like the work and the different experiences that I had gone through the past two years prior to that kind of pay off and just like it kind of was like another reminder of like why I love the sport that I do, and just like the crowd erupting and people like jumping at you and the coaches are going crazy, like it's just a feeling that you really can't replicate any other way and it's something that I've grown up watching college gymnastics and I was like, oh, I can't wait to do that college salute, like that's going to be me someday and finally living out that dream is just a full circle moment.
Speaker 3:This has been so enjoyable, Sarah.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 4:I don't even know what to tell you. Yeah, you were, you know, a student here that I got to know a little bit. You know, through that, that COVID summer, I remember you volunteering to sell t-shirts, I think, at a regional cross country meet that we, we worked at. I remember coming up one time and saying, hey Sarah, how's it going? And you were like shocked that I knew who you were, which makes me, as the AD, feel really good.
Speaker 1:Something about those 80s. Man, you guys got the names down and it truly means a lot. I mean speaking of the amount of athletes that you see coming through names down and it truly means a lot. I mean speaking of the amount of athletes that you see coming through the door and um same with the minnesota 80s to shout out them as well. But, um, yeah, it means a lot and, just like the personal connection that you guys um seek after is, it does mean a lot. So thank you for that for sure.
Speaker 3:well, everybody, this has been a heck of a podcast. Sarah mora, university of minnesota golden gopher, find some gear head of something. This has been a heck of a podcast. Sarah Murrah, university of Minnesota Golden Gopher, find some gear Head to something.
Speaker 4:Get over to Jenison Fieldhouse, yeah, bill.
Speaker 3:Kennedy might have to do something.
Speaker 4:Oh, I called him out. I don't know if I could go all Minnesota stuff, because we also have the Lepsers right. It would have to be a divided shirt.
Speaker 3:Let's just show up then. Well, it's been a great pleasure to sit down with you. It's been super fun. You're one of the most energetic people I've sat down with in quite some time.
Speaker 4:It was an absolute treat. Thanks so much for coming on. Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1:Thank you guys for doing this. I think it's going to be great for the community too.
Speaker 3:All right, thanks, bye.
