Not Done Yet with Luisa Blanco
4/28/2023 12:02:00 PM | Gymnastics
In my career as an Alabama gymnast , I've experienced just about every emotion possible in the highs and lows of being a student-athlete.
But at the 2023 NCAA Championships, I had a feeling that I couldn't shake.
Something I've never felt before.
Incomplete.
I qualified for the uneven bars as an individual and ended up taking second place. It was something I was proud of, but I didn't have my team with me.
For the first time since I've been at Alabama, we failed to qualify as a team for Nationals.
There is an incredible amount of love in the gymnastics community- the girls from other teams were gracious and supportive of me, but it wasn't the same without my girls by my side, competing as a team.
This moment put quite a few things in perspective for me. I took for granted the years we were able to qualify and showcase our talents on the biggest stage.
But more importantly, as a senior, I decided I couldn't go out like this.
After a practice day leading up to my individual competition, I had dinner with Coach Ashley and told her I'm ready to do this all over again.
So, I'm coming back for my fifth year.
Because the job's not finished.
Rollin' with the punches
This past season was a unique one for me in a variety of different ways.
I'd also call it a pivotal season for my growth and maturation.
There were many different changes made to the program in the last year, with a new coaching staff and a lot of other moving parts. With so much uncertainty, I had no other choice but to embrace the newness of my life. I became engrossed in being open and coachable to new people.
I also had to look in the mirror and start to trust myself more. I'd gotten in the bad habit of comparing myself to previous seasons, which wasn't productive in any way and only hurt my confidence.
Once I let my love for gymnastics take over, I had more fun this season than I can ever remember. It turned into one of my best seasons in my four years at Alabama.
When I decided to roll with the punches and not strive for perfection or individual awards and accolades, I accomplished some much-needed personal growth and development that made me a better person and gymnast.
Compete in the Final Four
Something that is going to drive me all offseason, heading into next season, is that I never want to experience that incomplete feeling I had at nationals ever again.
I believe I can use that moment at nationals to give the team some perspective as we look to compete next year.
I want every member of our team to understand how special it is, not only to have a team that can compete for a national championship, but to make it to the final night and win.
In the past we've competed as a team at the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, but we have yet to compete in the final four with the opportunity to win it all- myself along with my teammates are hungry to make history for this program.
My entire motivation in coming back for another season is to get to that final night of NCAAs with my team. We're more than capable and we have the talent to do it, especially with an amazing freshman class coming in.
From a leadership standpoint, I'll do everything I can to make sure everyone on the team believes in themselves as much as I believe in them.
Not defined by the mat
Beyond trying to win a national championship with my team, another reason I look forward to coming back next season is to relish every single moment.
There's certainly a level of sadness with next year being my final year at Alabama, but there's also peace in that.
What people sometimes forget is that gymnastics isn't like football or baseball. You don't get to compete well into your 30s. Knowing my gymnastics career will soon come to an end brings me comfort and gratitude for all the opportunities and experiences this sport has given me.
The team successes are always more meaningful to me than any individual accomplishment, so winning the 2021 SEC Championship with my team is easily one of my favorite memories of my time in Tuscaloosa.
I'll never forget looking up at what seemed like endless confetti falling from the rafters and covering our faces as we wiped away happy tears from our eyes.
Despite the triumphs, I've learned much more about myself from my failures than anything I've accomplished individually or with my team.
I look back at those moments when I've hit the mat, literally, and failed time and time again. Times where I could've just stuck that landing, hit that handstand, and that would have made the difference between triumph and defeat. In a sport where you're judged by your performances, your mental health can be painfully damaged by it all.
In my time at Alabama, one thing I've always tried to keep in mind is that when I inevitably fall, I need to keep getting back up. I need to keep moving forward, because little by little that is how the true winning is done.
Because my mistakes and failures don't define me.
I've come to learn that I'm much more than my successes I achieve on the competition floor, and I'm certainly more than my failures.
Living a dream
It's difficult to put into words what these last four years have meant to me. I completely underestimated the influence Bama Nation and the community would have on my life.
Whether I'm at a coffee shop or out to dinner, I can't tell you how many people have come up to me throughout the years and thanked me for the impact I've had on this program and university.
It fills my heart with gratitude to hear these words because I wouldn't be able to live out this dream every day without their love and support.
I'm a girl from Texas, born to Colombian immigrants. In a sport not abundantly populated with Latinos, this community has fully accepted me and embraced me into this Bama family.
To this day, I still have to pinch myself when I think about everything I've accomplished as a student-athlete. I'm overcome with emotion knowing I'm living the life I've always dreamed about when I was a little girl.
I can't thank my teammates, coaches, university and community enough for everything they've given me throughout my journey at Alabama.
Just know that it's not over yet.
