September 23, 2024 • 48 mins
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 now dropping at 5pm every Sunday evening for that late weekend chill, or listen Monday AM during 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!
Special thanks to Laura Veldhof Photography.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
who you are as a person and how you treat other
people and how you perform andhow you hold yourself in a way
that is positive and humble, andwhatever that is like.
That speaks volumes, way morethan a record and a record book,
a medal around your neck.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West
Ottawa High School AthleticProgram and you're listening to
the 29.1 Podcast 29 sports, oneteam, the show that brings you
into the lives ofstudent-athletes, coaches and
other faces in the Panthersports community, bringing you
the stories you might otherwisenever hear.
Join myself and AthleticDirector Bill Kennedy as we dive
(00:46):
in with you to get to know eachother a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey everybody, thanks for joining us once again here
on the 29.1 podcast.
Today's episode was a pure joyto record.
Bill and I had a sensationaltime sitting down with this
incredible, accomplished athletewith some of the best energy I
have ever been around yeah 2022.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
West Ottawa grad and current Minnesota Golden Gopher
gymnast, Sarah Murrah.
Sarah's coming off a Big Tenchampionship in the balance beam
and talks about her experiencein the Twin Cities and working
through some mental hurdles thatshe had to go through during
her freshman year at Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
If you're having a bad day, this might lighten the
load.
Sarah Mara, university ofMinnesota, golden Gopher, up
next on the 29.1.
Let's get to it.
Well, hey, everybody, welcomeback to the 29.1 podcast.
(01:51):
It is great to have you alongfor today's podcast.
I'm in the studio with twoabsolutely great people, one of
course being our athleticdirector, bill Kennedy, who I've
gotten to know a lot over thepast few years.
So I can say we're getting alittle tight.
It's kind of fun to get to knowhim a little bit better.
And we have another person inthe studio who is a good friend
of my daughter's.
(02:11):
Who is it?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
It's me, Sarah.
I'm so excited to be here withyou guys.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It's Sarah Marat everybody.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, sarah's a 2022 West Ottawa graduate, entering
her junior year at theUniversity of Minnesota, where
she competes in the gymnasticsprogram.
A specialist in beam and vault,a high flyer.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, high flyer, I've done a crash course in
gymnastics over the last littlebit and I'm absolutely in awe.
We'll talk about that in alittle bit, but you're back in
town for what?
About three weeks or so, right?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yep, a solid three weeks.
We have a different trainingschedule, so we get may at home
and then we're there for juneand july and then we're back at
home for august and then back tothe grind in september.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So short, little time back here, but cherishing every
moment yeah, you're going downa little nostalgia path, walking
in these halls, or what yes,for sure, like the aroma and
everything, I'm just like backin high school right now.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, you said the aroma, which was really kind of
caught me off guard.
Usually it's the visuals ohyeah, these halls but it's the
smell.
For you, what is that?
What's it from?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Um, a lot of different things.
We used to compete like ourhome meets were here.
So like the smell of like thegym and then, I think, also just
like going to like a basketballgame, like and watching like my
peers and classmates too.
It's just like that camaraderieand the energy that went along
with that too, and just theexcitement of being able to be a
part of that was crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
But that's way better than I thought.
I thought it was like the aromacoming from the locker, like a
locker or something that doesn'tseem to be.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Uh, you've been hanging out with some friends.
When you get back I know thisis different for me.
You know my daughter, claire,pretty well.
You guys have done some sportstogether.
You guys were able to hang outthe other night.
What's that like to come backand see some people from your
past.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
It's so nice to catch up.
I think we all have busyschedules when we're back at
school and so making that timeto send a quick text here and
there is great, but face-to-faceis so much better and just
being able to see them and hearthem and get the whole
experience from their bodylanguage too and just hear how
they are doing in their, theiryear went and stuff like that
too.
So it's been really nice tocatch up with everyone and just
(04:19):
kind of see where they're at inlife and their life and their
different chapters, and it's sofun to hear everyone's stories.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So yeah, it's so fun.
I always get a great thrill ofjust spending some time with
some old friends, because it'sdifferent, you know, like people
that know you for a while.
They just know you, you don'thave to pretend to be anything.
You can just be yourself forsure.
Yeah, so that's really great.
Now, you, it is a busy schedulewhen you're here, but I heard
you've also had time to playsome board games with your
family.
Is that the case?
oh yes, we're very competitive,but it's fun for sure you, uh,
(04:48):
you're playing some splendor andsome machi coral right now.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I heard yes, those are our two new ones with, like
my immediate, four, so that'sbeen your immediate four.
You're talking about yourfamily yes, yes, the immediate
my mom, dad, brother and me, andthen when we get to the
extended family it gets a littledifferent play some card games
more euchre and like shanghai,which is another like sets and
runs game, and then at home withfriends, uh, or at school, I
(05:11):
guess now it's more likestrategic fun.
Um, we play a lot of um, secret, hitler, katan, those types of
things love it.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yes, this is all foreign bill bill has, I think,
one of his eyes actually justclosed.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
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'sjust the East Coaster in me,
Maybe it is.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
True, I think it is a Midwest thing.
Euchre, for sure, yeah, likewhenever I play.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
People are like you know, it's like the inner nerds
coming up.
No, no, my nerds right on theoutside.
Like you don't have to go deep.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I love this stuff so yeah, we played a little bit of
spades in college, but that wasabout it.
Yeah, it's a whole other eranow, but it's a different era.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Machi koro, we've played that for a long time.
Yes, that's really fun.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We just or I played for the first time actually last
week, but okay my parents havehad it for a couple months now,
but yeah, a real, a real goodtrick in that game is actually
try and get your airport firstokay 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 (06:23):
Matt, don't listen to this.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well, you had a great season this past year, which
we're going to get into.
You were a Big Ten champion onthe beam Congratulations, Thank
you and we're going to get inmore to that.
But that was amazing.
Just what an accomplishmentfrom being a little girl over at
Champion to doing that.
But yeah, congratulations,We'll keep going.
But now what's reallyinteresting for us Go ahead,
(06:48):
Bill.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yeah.
So you know, as we know, hereat West Ottawa we've got 29
sports, thus the 29-1 kind ofslogan that we use.
Gymnastics is not a schoolsport, but one of the things
that's been really important tome is that we've.
But one of the things that'sbeen really important to me is
that we've had the opportunityto send some girls into the Big
Ten in the world of gymnasticsand we always recognize you as a
(07:13):
Panther.
You may not have ever gotten achance to wear the black and
white on the beam or on thevault, but your photos are
hanging in the walls on thewalls just like everybody else.
Along with the Lepster sisterswho are at MSU want to make sure
that, uh, we continue to sharekind of your story and your
journey through social mediaposts, as we were kind of
(07:34):
setting up to sit down with you.
The one memory of you that Ithat is very vivid for me is
actually it comes from the COVIDsummer right, the time that we
all want to forget.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Let's talk about the good times.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
But we would set up, you know, out at the track every
day and check in studentathletes to come in and get
workouts in.
And I just remember the numberof coaches who came up to me
after a week or two of workoutsand they're like who is this?
Sarah Mara, kid, cause she iscrushing it.
Talk to us a little bit about,like being a part of those
workouts, right and and kind offorming maybe some bonds, uh,
(08:11):
with your fellow students.
Um, even though you weren't atraditional West Ottawa student
athlete.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
That's so funny that you say that, Cause I remember
you coming up to me too and Iwas like I promise I play West
Ottawa sport once too.
No, it was great.
So that, yeah, COVID summer, sowe 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 justgo to the park and shoot a hoop,
(08:38):
Like there's not reallyanything that you can kind of
compare and mirror the sport.
So that was definitely hard.
We were on Zoom every day withthe team and working out and so
just like having someface-to-face contact again and
like working out with someoneright beside you was amazing and
I'm forever grateful that youguys opened that door for me to
(08:58):
be able to participate in.
And yeah, it was fun to dosomething different that was
alongside of my peers I don'tget to hang out with a lot, and
so being able to wake up in themorning, do some more running,
which you don't do a lot of wasa great.
You know, cross training andjust experience to kind of see
what my other friends andteammates do.
So yeah, it was great.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Well, I know for sure that we had you know volleyball
coaches, tennis coaches, folksthat were like we need to get
this girl playing for us?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Well, you did play lacrosse.
What year was that for you?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I did.
I played my freshman year andthen I technically was on the
team sophomore year within COVID, so we didn't actually play.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
That was the first time I personally came across
Sarah Mara, what was reallyfunny.
Back you hopefully you doremember this, but you and my
daughter Claire, when you wouldget your mouthpieces in and your
eyewear on, you wereindistinguishable from each
other.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Oh for sure, yeah, basically twins, I think, since,
like sixth grade too, it waslike we would sit in like math
class together and the teacherwould be like Claire and I'd be
like, oh, like, oh, sarah, it'slike me over here.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
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 alot of fun.
Back in those times, do youremember, uh, what you did
against Grand Haven, that onegame, remember that?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
yes go.
Came up to me our coach and hewas like, would you feel
comfortable like doing a flip onthe field?
And I was like I mean, yes, I'mcapable, but what do you want
me to do?
And he's like I think we haveto have a play and it's going to
be called circus.
And I was like, okay, what doesthat entail?
And he's like, so, actually,you're not really going to have
the ball, you're just going todrop your stick and do a flip.
(10:41):
And I was like, hmm, I don'treally know how I feel about
this, but it was in play and itdid, and it drew everyone's eyes
.
And it drew everyone's eyes,that's for sure it did.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
The opposition was turned away from the ball going.
What is going on here?
It was that distractiontechnique.
Distraction technique.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
for sure, I've seen the basketball team who has a
guy get down on all fours andbark like a dog?
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That was the lacrosse equivalent that year.
Oh man, well, what's reallycool for you.
But you did get a chance to dolike you played volleyball in
middle school.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
My wife coached you actually back then.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
And this is kind of uncommon for a gymnast to do
right.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah for sure.
Yeah, it's practically unheardof, I would say.
I was very fortunate enough tohave a club coach who was super
flexible with me and kind of wasencouraging me in my own dreams
to do something different andbe a part of a school sport as
well, and then also verythankful for lacrosse coaches as
well, too, and volleyball, whowere able to also be flexible
(11:36):
with me and kind of work with myschedule too, because it's not
easy to work around a four hourpractice every day.
But we were able to do that andable to do that, and so, yeah,
it was great.
I loved both experiences,obviously in a perfect world.
I would have loved to do itthroughout high school, but just
in the long run of keeping mehealthy and on track I knew that
(11:57):
wasn't the case, but I honestlyattribute a lot of probably my
success and endurance in thesport to being able to do other
things, Cause I wasn't burnedout Like a lot of other girls.
My age were at the point of youknow the 30 hour weeks and
everything.
So, yeah, it was a greatopportunity to step aside, try
something different.
I think it made me a betterathlete too, in terms of um,
(12:18):
gymnastics is so individual andclub very different in college,
where it's very team oriented.
But do something where I'm partof a bigger team, um, work on
that hand hand eye coordinationtoo, which is a lot different
from stepping on the beam.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
But, yeah, it was great and so you kind of alluded
to it a little bit.
Is the the grind of being ahigh level gymnast?
You're back for three weeks andyou've got some time off, but
you're not really off becauseyou're back for three weeks and
you've got some time off butyou're not really off because
you're back at the old facility.
What's it like going back intothat facility where you really
grew up and getting to go backthere and be around your coaches
(12:55):
again?
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, it's, it's great, it's crazy Again, kind of
like being back here.
It's kind of the all thememories start to flood back
into the brain a little bit.
But yeah, definitely not off.
Stop in for a few hours a daynot as long as normal, but it's
always nice to have a little bitof a break but also kind of
keep it up a little bit.
It's good to see a lot of oldteammates, but also there's a
(13:17):
lot of new faces that I don'tknow at all.
So it's been fun to kind of getto know them a little bit and
see how the program has changed.
My head coach, who was therefor oh gosh, I don't even know
how long, but she just steppeddown this summer.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So and who was that?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Tammy yes.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Tammy Shasma Shout out to her for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yes, oh, 100%, oh, gee, right there.
So, yeah, it's been great.
Obviously, chalk on too, so Icame from the gym earlier today,
but, um, yeah, it's great to bethere and kind of relive those
moments again.
Um, yeah, it's been good andthat place has been very
(14:05):
successful in producing highlevel gymnasts, um, all across
the big 10, right, um, maybetalk to us a little bit about
what's you know the culturewithin champion that has kind of
allowed that to happen.
Yeah, yeah, definitely a lot ofsuccess.
Um, I would say the main thingwas just like that family aspect
.
I mean, I would have said Tammy, I was in her group since I was
in fifth grade, so definitelyraised me like another mom,
would I probably spent more timewith her than my own mom at
some points, just because it wasschool to practice and that she
would be driving us to campsand meets and all the things too
(14:28):
sometimes.
So, yeah, she, I credit so muchto her in the sense of creating
just an atmosphere where peopleum, encouraging and lifting
people up.
I think a lot of obviously poorand bad things have come out
about our sport in the past fewyears too, and so it kind of
gets a bad rep in the sense of alot of coaches are very
hardcore and beyond strict inmultiple levels and not healthy
(14:51):
in many ways as well.
But I was very thankful to growup in a very healthy
environment where not only was Icoached with kind words and
smiles and laughs, but taughtthe importance of having fun and
truly um, not being punishedfor not like my circumstances or
anything like that.
So definitely amazingexperience.
(15:11):
And then even like comparing myown stories to my teammates now
at minnesota, I definitely wasone of very few to have that
great experience in clubs, so Iwould never trade that for the
world when we're in like thisrinky, dinky little champion,
but I love it and it that's willever, forever will be home.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So yeah, probably pretty cool too is the your
college schedule is beingreleased and then you're going
through the season to run intosome of those old teammates from
champion right friendly faces,even though they're wearing
opposite colors yes, no, it'sgreat.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Um, um.
Yeah, I saw John and Stephanielike two times last year and
we're just like running up toeach other, like we're like
don't mind us, we just need tolike catch up for a second.
Um, another teammate's going tobe at MSU this year too.
So, yeah, it's super excitingand just like the bonds that you
create across even differentgyms too, is amazing to run into
someone like in Alabama or inIdaho or whatever it might be.
(16:07):
So it's exciting for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
I'm glad you had a really good experience there,
because, boy, did you spend somehours there.
Malcolm Gladwell, of course, inhis 28, sorry 2008 book
Outliers, talks about the 10,000hours, and 10,000 hours, of
course, is what you need tobecome an elite in your sport.
Have you ever tried tocalculate yours?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I haven't.
Oh, I have, I really need to,and we're going to play around
right now.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I'm going to pull up this calculator and I'm an old
dude so it's going to take mehalf a second.
All right, we're going to havesome fun here.
How many hours a week?
How you started at a second orthird grade?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
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 aweek.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
All right, we're even going to go on the low end.
We're going to say 20 a weektimes 50 weeks a year.
We're going to take a coupleweeks hours a year just there
from age six to.
We're gonna times that by 20now, so 14 by 14, so you put in
14 000.
I didn't really need thecalculator for that once I got
through the thousand mark, butyou put in 14 000 hours.
(17:15):
You know, of all the sportsthat we talk about, whether it
be football or basketball orvolleyball, there is not a sport
to me.
Maybe swimming does, but thereis not a sport to me.
Maybe swimming does, butthere's not a sport that
compares to that to me.
Like the hours you put in.
I'm glad you had a greatexperience, but the amount of
sacrifice and work you've put in, do you ever like look back on
(17:37):
going?
Wow, I actually put that muchtime in.
Like, what's that like for you?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
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 likeI knew nothing different, like I
was just always there and thoseare like the beginning memories
too, and so, yeah, it isdifferent, it's weird to look
back, but I, like I said,haven't known anything else.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
So you had a.
You have not lost your love forthe sport else.
So you've had a.
You have not lost your love forthe sport.
Uh, one thing that showed methat you haven't lost your love
for your sport was when you weredoing some recruitment stuff.
You sent out some pictures whenyou were being recruited.
Your mom told me can you tellme, tell us what those were?
Oh, goodness.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, so we had during like my recruiting
process I did like a fun factFriday, so that was kind of my
way to kind of set myself apartfrom other athletes trying to
get to the same schools.
So I guess I don't know exactlywhich ones you're referring to,
because there was many.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Well, just in general , I love to jump off things.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh, yes, I love to jump off things for sure.
So yeah, any little fun fact Icould hint at that made me a
little bit different Love tothrow out there.
But yes, going back to jumpingoff things, I'm very adventurous
, I love the thrill.
So any like cliff into water onvacation, like we have to go
there, like there's no question,like we're stopping, so
definitely a lot of heads turnflipping off the cliffs, but my
(18:59):
brother joins me.
We'll even get my dad in theresometimes, but it's great.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
So, yeah, I love the thrill love anything outdoors
adventurous, I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, that is definitely proven, because I saw
recently your brothercelebrated a birthday and there
was a backflip situation goinginto.
Was that Lake Michigan, I wouldimagine?
Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
It's, it's it.
It's really amazing the thingsthat you do.
Uh, I was gonna get to this alittle bit later, but miles to
talk about now.
One of the things that'samazing about gymnastics is
there's a lot of sports that wecan relate to as human beings,
as people, right?
So bowling comes on on asaturday afternoon, which I'll
watch.
My family thinks I'm weird, butbowling will come on a saturday
(19:42):
afternoon.
I'll watch them.
Like, yeah, I could do that.
I could if I, if I put in thetime, I could probably pull that
off.
You know, or you see somebodyshooting an open basketball shot
from the corner three.
Well, I could probably nailthat when I watch gymnastics.
I am under no illusion.
Nope, that we can do this, youknow.
I sat down, I said what's aquestion I really want to ask
her, and one of the things thatcame to my mind was what is it
(20:04):
like to be able to do what youdo, like it's for us as regular
humans?
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Yes, I'm putting us in that category.
Just walking across the balancebeam would be a struggle for me
.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
What's it like for you to be able to do that?
Speaker 1 (20:17):
It's crazy.
I think a lot of times too,because I've been doing it for
so long, I just am like, evenlike the, like a basic cartwheel
, or, like you said, walkingacross the beam, I'm like, oh
yeah, you, like you guys coulddo it, like I would tell you
that, like 100%, I'd be like, oh, you'd be fine, like it's fine.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And then like you do not want to see me, I do.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
You can come in.
Stop, in the way I like, benddown to pick up things off the
floor I like just like lift myleg up, like it's just normal,
and people are like, what areyou doing?
And I'm like sorry, this isnormal for me.
Oh, that's so great.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Yeah, it was last night, as I'm.
You know, I'm an addict when itcomes to sports.
So when I'm at home in my freetime I'm watching sports.
And then last night I'm tuninginto Hard Knocks on HBO and you
got Simone Biles, his husband,who was on the Chicago Bears,
and he's kind of come back andthe guys are asking him
questions and he talks about hiswife and the things that she
(21:17):
does and he obviously is ahigh-level athlete in the NFL
and they show a clip of themdoing a rope climb.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
I love this video.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
It's so good, um, so you've got this NFL guy on one
rope and his wife, uh, simoneBiles, on the other rope, and
she grabs the rope, she sticksher legs straight out in front
of her, so she's at a 90 degreeangle and she is upper body
strength up the rope like boom,so fast and he is all over the
(21:47):
place.
His body's all contorted.
He gets about halfway up andshe's already done.
Yeah, um so, yeah, I I thinkthat speaks to gymnasts just do
things that normal people cannot.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
It is true.
It is cannot.
It is true, sarah, it isdifferent.
Yeah, it is true.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
We're going to get into some detail now of your
career, if that's all right withyou.
Well, first of all, the seasonfor gymnasts is usually in the
winter, what January throughApril.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
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 ofMinnesota a little bit.
What's it like to be there?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
It's good.
I think the most commonquestion I get is is it cold
there?
It's pretty much the same ashere, so that's the same, I
think.
Honestly, the walking betweenNorth and South to prepare me
for that as well.
It's good.
Less snow, but it's good.
A lot of green spaces, which Ilove.
Being in kind of near a bigcity, I was like kind of a
(22:52):
little hesitant, just because Ilove nature and being outside,
but they definitely do a greatjob with that.
And just being with 40,000people is crazy, just like I
never really see a face again,which is really weird.
So, like in a perfect world, Iwould have preferred a smaller
school, but I like it.
The excitement on campus is fun.
(23:12):
Game days are fun for the mostpart.
So, yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
And what's and what's different for you now, too, is
you have a team, a school teamthat you're on.
Yes, how's that different?
Speaker 1 (23:24):
oh, it's so different , but way more fun, way more fun
.
Um, yeah, so in club it's veryindividualized kind of.
If you fall, like it's on you,it affects you.
But now it's kind of a biggeraspect and you got 17 other
girls backs on your shoulderstoo, so it's definitely a
different experience in terms ofpressure and what that entails.
(23:46):
But it's so like it'sincredible and there's nothing
else like it.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
When you like land something and like 18 people are
just running towards you andlike that's so sweet yeah,
high-fiving hugs, whatever coachis lifting you up, like it's
amazing, it's so fun, yeah itprobably ingrains you even more
so into the university communityas well, right, because you're
wearing those colors.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yes, and you're representing the school 100%
yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You have had a really good first two years.
It's not common and I could bewrong on this, but it's not
common to be able to get thereand compete right away.
Right, you've been able to dothat.
I went through your bio on theUniversity of Minnesota and I'm
not going to go through it allbecause there's just too much to
talk about, but you're prettyaccomplished there.
(24:33):
Really nice for you to be ableto pull that off First year,
first semester a breeze for you.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yeah, for the most part, Right I?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
mean you got into it.
Your season doesn't start untilsecond semester, more or less,
but you got in.
You had a group of people thatyou could do things with a nice
smooth transition, other thangetting your bike stolen during
the first week.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Worst day ever, worst day ever.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
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 away right, you had a bit of a
thing you had to go through toget there.
Can you tell me about whatstarted to happen to you with
schooling and the fact that,being a gymnast, you're shooting
for perfection on everythingthat you do?
(25:19):
How did that affect you andwhat started to happen?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yeah Well, kind of like how you mentioned, um first
semester, I kind of had like adifferent experience than like
most people.
Kind of transitioning Like minehappened later where I was
struggling.
Um, first semester was great.
I didn't end up fracturing myankle like in October, so that
kind of was like a little bit ofa hindrance, but I think it was
great for me just to it openedmy eyes, just to look around and
kind of get the feel for howthis team aspect was supposed to
(25:46):
work Right.
I hadn't done that really formost of my career and so just
being able to cheer everyone onand kind of get that lens was
great and I think that like Iwasn't really sad or upset or
frustrated.
It was a great experience forme to kind of sit back and learn
and get a little strongermentally and physically.
Um, so yeah, I came back in inJanuary, started the um meet
season.
I'm competed, beam involvedconsistently throughout that
(26:08):
year.
Um, and kind of the hittingpoint was a meet against Iowa
and it was about like a third toa halfway through the season
and so, beam, I was actually theanchor on beam, so kind of what
that looks like what does thatmean?
you were the anchor yes, sothere's six up on every event
and five scores count and so youhave like a lineup.
(26:29):
So everyone's kind of in theirparticular spot and we get like
a lineup each week like the daybefore the meet usually stays
pretty consistent throughout theyear but there might be some
changes here and there and andso kind of.
That anchor spot is all rightif one person kind of messes up
or falls earlier.
Like it's kind of on you tocontinue to stay on the beam and
perform well and be consistent.
So that person is normallyconsistent, you can count on
(26:51):
them and so as a freshman it wasdefinitely like a big deal to
be in that spot.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That was you.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
That was me, yeah, so my freshman year and so kind of
the beginning I didn't reallythink anything of it.
When I was approached about it,I was just kind of like, yeah,
I'm used to going last, like noone on my team likes to go first
, so I'll just go last and likewhatever and so.
But it's like a totallydifferent aspect when you're
competing for your team too.
No-transcript, the lineup andfortunately I performed well,
(27:58):
like got a season high for theyear, but we tied like with us,
so we tied against Iowa.
And so I was constantly likelooking back and I was well,
like got a season high for theyear, but we tied, like with us,
so we tied against Iowa.
And so I was constantly likelooking back and I was like, oh,
if I just didn't do this onething, if I pointed my toe here,
like we would have won.
Like it's on me, like I shouldhave done better and it's, I
think, something that isingrained into us later on in
college is like it's like, it'son everyone, right, even the
(28:18):
people not in the lineup, andthey're standing over there.
Maybe they could have cheeredlouder Not really that that
would affect your ability, butwe'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 soI was constantly putting all the
pressure on myself.
So that was really hard.
I came back the Monday after andI remember I was on ball and I
(28:39):
just broke down.
I was just bawling and myathletic trainer took me to the
side and was like hey, what'sgoing on?
You've been really quiet lately.
I just noticed something's offand I was just like I'm so
overwhelmed.
I was sleeping about threehours a night.
I came back from class dinnerat like 8 pm, would study till
(29:00):
like midnight and then just mymind would spiral for like three
hours at night of like I shouldbe doing this right now, I need
to do this like this is realstuff athletes yes, this is the
real it is real and um beyondthat.
I was also having a lot of panicattacks too, which I had never
experienced before.
I would call my mom like notbreathing, because I would just
(29:20):
be so worked up and I like Iwould just cry into the phone
like multiple times a day.
I did not like gymnastics atthis point.
I didn't like school, and ofcourse that perfectionism also
was in the school realm as well.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
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 (29:40):
So that was just kind of elevated in that scenario
and so, um, yeah, so we kind ofworked things out.
I started seeing sports psych alot, which was super helpful
just to, um, hear anotherperson's perspectives and kind
of take my circumstances and mythoughts and like, separate them
Right, um, cause your thoughtscan do a lot, a lot to change
(30:03):
what actually you perceive orwhat you is actually going on,
and so that was super helpful.
I had an amazing, amazingsupport support staff.
Um, athletic trainer wasawesome, um, obviously, sports
like, and my coaches were morethan encouraging and helpful in
that time.
And I was taken out of the BeMine Up the next weekend and
(30:24):
they kind of pulled me aside andwere like we will put you in if
you really want to, but wethink like this is for the best
and just for you to sit back andkind of reflect and just
realize, like you like all thework that you put in, all the
time, effort, whatever, and it'sjust I was putting so much of
my identity in how I wasperforming instead of the person
that I was in, just like theability to do what I like was
(30:48):
gifted and the ability that Iwas able to do.
So that was super hard,definitely a low point, for sure
, in my college career, but Idon't think I would have been as
successful or enjoyed even thislast season as much as I did
without that experience.
Um, I remember I was calling tomy head coach's office and it
was one we have like one-on-oneswith our coaches.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
We'll give a shout out to your head coach.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yes, Jenny Hanson, she's awesome.
Yes, Um, and she was like doyou know who won like the 53 in
like 2012 at Minnesota?
And I was like no, and she'slike okay, like tell me like who
your favorite teacher was inhigh school and college and why.
And I was like I went on and on.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Who was your favorite teacher in high school?
Let's give them a shout outright now.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Shout out Mr McNitt and Mr Myers, yes, loved them.
Everyone was great, don't worry.
And just like that was therealization.
It didn't like totally fix myproblem at that point, but just
like realizing, like who you areas a person and how you treat
other people and how you performand how you hold yourself in a
(31:57):
way that is positive and humbleand whatever that is like.
That speaks volumes, way morethan a record and a record book,
a medal around your neck.
And I think that was kind of theperspective change I needed to
just realize like there's muchway more to me than my talent
(32:17):
and my accomplishments andaccolades, which I had been
chasing after my entire life ofjust like what's next, and like
I was never really satisfiedwith those things either.
Right, you're on, even ifyou're on the top of the podium.
It felt good for three secondsand it was like, okay, like
what's next, like, and that'snot, that's not how it should be
right, you should be able tocelebrate a little bit and find
(32:38):
something that really definesyou outside of winning.
It's like how you carryyourself and do that and be a
good teammate and cheer otherpeople on.
So, yeah, it was definitely adifficult transition for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
You also?
Speaker 4 (32:55):
you got to enjoy the journey and you know you're the
third now alumni that we've beenable to sit down with and in
all of those sit downs withCooper Terpstra and Gabby
Reynolds now you, they all gothrough.
It's a very natural thing for acollege athlete to go through
times of doubt and you know realintrospection and struggle like
(33:17):
that.
That's what sets, I think,college athletics apart from the
high school realm right Becauseeveryone is really good.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
So it's really I thank you so much for kind of
sharing those in that journeywith us because, our hope is
that our current West Ottawastudent athletes are going to
hear some of this and it'll helpthem out when they get to that
point.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Yeah, for sure you also in, I believe, may of 2023,
you also went to Kenya.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
I did yes.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
And this was empowering you through sport.
This probably also your momtold me this also affected you
somewhat, yes, but it's alsokind of affected the your career
choice.
You kind of shifted a littlebit, went to a different area.
Can you speak to that a littlebit?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
yeah.
So I came into college thinkingI was going to do kinesiology
on the pre-pt track and then Ihad an incredible professor my
freshman fall semester and shewas taking kids to Kenya in May
and I was like this is somethingI want to do, like I like I
don't know what it was, but Iwas like I go.
And so, again, shout out Jennyfor letting me skip three weeks
(34:27):
of training, but it's great.
She always encourages thosethings.
So it was amazing, but yeah, soI went to Kenya for three weeks
.
We visited over 20 differentnonprofit organizations, that
kind of work with kids in theslums and kind of poor areas of
the communities and kind of usesport as an avenue to kind of
(34:47):
pull them out of poverty, getthem on the right track.
Many times a lot of thoseathletes come to the US on like
scholarships too, for sports aswell.
So it was just a veryeye-opening experience to see
how much sports can kind ofunify people all over and it's
just like this universallanguage.
(35:08):
Obviously, a lot of them spokesome English too, as well as
their Swahili, but even if Icouldn't understand them again,
that's like kicking a soccerball with somehow just like this
universal saying that we'reconnected.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Yeah, that universal smile goes a long way,
especially on the face of achild.
For sure, I just saw a littlebit of that with you know, going
through the Olympics and that'swhen gymnastics probably gets
its biggest boost.
Speaker 4 (35:34):
Right you have little girls all across the country
now who are like I want to dothat.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
You've also carried this to campus somewhat with
Team Impact, so I talked to yourmom about this and this just
warmed my heart to hear this.
Can you speak briefly to that,if that's all right?
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah.
So Team Impact is a nonprofitorganization that pairs kids
with chronic illnesses anddisabilities with college sports
teams all around the country.
So my freshman year we werematched with a child.
Her name is Jordan and she was15 at the country.
So my freshman year we werematched with a child Her name is
Jordan and she was 15 at thetime and she was a gymnast, an
amputee, had some otherillnesses as well, and I just
(36:12):
fell in love with what our teamgot to do.
We had her on the floor atevery home meet.
She was announced with us, gotto help us in all the different
areas on there.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Did she get some of those great leotards?
Speaker 4 (36:24):
oh yeah, that's a fun , that's a fun part like just to
watch, like just all the Idon't know what the bedazzle is
that what it is.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
There's so much fun anyways, but yours yours.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Your teams look great too, so I'm sure she loved that
yeah, um.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
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 aperspective what does that mean
exactly?
Yeah.
So my job, um, as a fellow forthe university of Minnesota team
impact campus, is that I'm kindof the bridge between like team
impact and then the sports team.
So I help with all the matcheson campus in terms of so like we
(37:00):
have seven, so like football,basketball, like a bunch of
different sports have a kid thatthey're matched with, and so I
um help create like awarenessgames that all the matches can
come to.
So I'll reach out to like ourbasketball and marketing team
and be like hey, like I reallythink we should do this.
Yes, oh, I love it.
The planning in me loves it.
So, um, yeah, and I'm like,okay, how can we do this?
(37:21):
How can we have them sitcourtside or whatever it might
be?
And then, yeah, they kind ofhelped me, a bunch of different
teams helped me kind of put thattogether and get like the
camera crew on board so theyhighlight them on the Jumbotron
in their certain section andthen get them to tour the locker
room afterwards and whatever itmight be.
And I think it's a great timefor not only the team to support
(37:46):
their match but also thematches to kind of come together
and spend time with each othertoo, and so that's been really
exciting to see.
And then I also do some medicaloutreach.
So I've been to a few hospitalsand kind of speak to them,
reach out to them and talk totheir head of staff and stuff
like that, and kind of sit downwith a PowerPoint and tell them
(38:06):
about Team Impact and why theyshould continue to recruit kids
and why they should come to the?
U too.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Did your involvement in the LINCS program here at
West Ottawa maybe prepare you orinfluence you to kind of go in
this direction?
Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yes, I absolutely loved being a link here.
Um missed the kids so much andin fact kept in touch with many
of them my freshman andsophomore year too um,
throughout the email too.
So that was awesome.
But, yes, 100% was the Avenue Ikind of wanted to continue to
(38:45):
mirror and just kind of see thejoy and just like the little
things that make some otherpeople happy is just incredible
and just kind of keeps megrounded too, and just like
enjoying the little moments inlife too, because it's so easy
to get caught up in the next bigthing or big event, but there's
so many little things to begrateful for too.
So, yeah, yes, to answer yourquestion.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Yes, wow, sitting down with you right now, I just
feel this incredible sense ofjoy and calm and peace that you
have.
It's fun to be around it.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Pure energy.
Let's get to that wonderfulmoment, the Big Ten, where you
won the Beam Championship A9.925.
We're staying away fromperfection.
We're not going to focus on thenumber, but it's a heck of a
number.
It's online.
Got a chance to watch it.
Incredible what you canactually do on a beam.
Can you talk about that day,what it meant to you, that sort
(39:31):
of thing?
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Oh man, it was awesome, especially being in
front of a home crowd.
I was able to have a lot offamily and friends there, which
was awesome to just be able todo that for them and in front of
them for the first time in awhile for some of them, and I
think it was just so exciting.
So the Big Ten championship islike split up into two different
(39:52):
sessions, so like the lower sixteams are in the first session
and then the top four in thenight session.
So we were in the night sessionand you kind of want to be,
just because you end up likescoring higher and all the
things, and so we were, yeah, soexcited to walk in.
We yeah, it was just anunbelievable experience and just
like the energy in that roomand just being a part of like
(40:15):
some of the best gymnastics inthe country too and just being
up against, like you said,former teammates and different
friends I had met throughout myclub years too, was an exciting
experience.
And just to do that alongsideof 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 alittle tough.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
By one-tenth.
Just a bit right, yeah,one-tenth.
One-tenth, michigan State, yesyes, they did amazing.
Yeah, so some joy for MichiganState, obviously, and this was
at Jenison Field.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
It was at Jenison yep and so, yeah, kind of, we ended
on ball.
They had one more beam girl togo and we ended and went 9-9-7-5
.
So almost a perfect 10, got 10from one judge and 9-9-5 from
the other, and we were just likeholding our breath,
unfortunately came up short.
But I think, kind of just goingback to everything I learned in
(41:04):
my first semester too, thathard semester was just like I.
Of course it was disappointing,right, and it's like hard to be
that close and fall short, butit's just like another testament
to like winning and losing isjust, it's just part of the
sport, right.
I probably won't remember beinglike second or whatever it was,
or like on the podium, but I'llremember like the small moments
(41:27):
in the locker room where we'redancing ahead of time or we're
cheering on each other, or thegames that we play on the bus
right there or whatever it mightbe.
So I think it was just likeanother testament to just like
soak in the moment and just bethankful for where I was at and
just the experience that I wasable to have for sure.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
And you have some really great support with that
gopher nation, right Like you soyou traveled a lot.
You're on a plane.
Yes A lot with your sportparents, and there's a group of
people that they come with you,right, they travel.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
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 maroonuh overalls that a lot of the
the dads wear.
My dad loves sporting hisgopher outfit.
Um, he's got like the maroonand yellow like hair going he
goes really he's that far.
Yes, yes, yeah, it's you know,maybe like little embarrassing
(42:20):
but I love him very much no,it's great.
Yeah, we, it's funny.
We, whenever we travel away, umthe home crowd normally comes
up to our parents and they'relike you guys travel better than
we do, and we're like 10minutes down the road, and so I
think it's just like a statementof how much like the community
environment comes around, butalso just like how much fun our
(42:40):
parents have together too, and Ithink it's like fun to see them
like grow relationships too andenjoy the journey as much as my
teammates and I do as well.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
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 Ottawaparent, I've met so many people
at West Ottawa, just sitting instands with them and you start
talking sports, whatever, andit's really enjoyable.
So I'll have to see if I startcoloring my hair.
I don't know if that's cominganytime soon Black and white.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
I've already got that going on.
Have you seen this?
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Yeah, I've seen that video.
Bill's really gotten into itthe last six months.
That's for sure.
What's really cool is you arealso building they're building a
new gymnast facility.
I saw that sign the beamceremony.
Yes, Tell me, are you excitedabout that?
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Are you going to be able to get in there before you
leave?
Yeah, I'm over the moon aboutit.
So they broke ground in Marchof this year and it should be
finished in December, so it'sbeen a long time coming.
We basically, like the past,like 15 recruiting classes were
promised a new gym, so it's beena long time coming.
A lot of people that I'mthankful for paving the way
before me.
But yeah, we're super excited.
(43:49):
We're right next to our athletevillage and the football
facility and all the othersports.
We were definitely kind of outand far away a little bit, so
it's going to be nice to be inone area, being able to go to
class, go right to practice andthen hit the dining hall right
after that.
So it's just, everything'sgoing to be so convenient for
sure.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
So that's going to be done this December.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Yes, that's fast yes.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
That's really quick, yeah, when I start to think
about the building projects wehave going on and the amount of
time that it takes to getthrough that.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
What classes do you have coming?
Speaker 1 (44:24):
up this fall.
Yeah, so I'm taking a lot moreof major specific courses.
Um, so I'm studying humanresource development now and so
a lot of like org developmentstuff, um, kind of that way
curriculum based classes, stufflike that and kind of how to
like run a training program likefor different, like new
employees and stuff like that.
So, yeah, be should be a goodsemester that's really fantastic
(44:46):
.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
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 havewhen you finish your routine and
you land.
You are jumping around, you areso excited and you nailed that
landing too right.
Like for the non gymnast person, we always just say, oh, it's
(45:07):
all about the landing.
You nailed that landing and youare so happy.
What?
What were you feeling?
I know it's kind of the thehorrible sports question to ask,
but I'm gonna do it for thistime.
What was that feeling like whenyou just hit that stuff?
Speaker 1 (45:22):
yeah, oh, just like the utmost joy, I think, and
just being able to do it infront of a home crowd was or
home for me, I guess a homecrowd was amazing and just like
seeing all like the work and thedifferent experiences that I
had gone through the past twoyears prior to that kind of pay
off and just like it kind of waslike another reminder of like
(45:45):
why I love the sport that I do,and just like the crowd erupting
and people like jumping at youand the coaches are going crazy,
like it's just a feeling thatyou really can't replicate any
other way and it's somethingthat I've grown up watching
college gymnastics and I waslike, oh, I can't wait to do
that college salute, like that'sgoing to be me someday and
finally living out that dream isjust a full circle moment.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
This has been so enjoyable, Sarah.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
I don't even know what to tell you.
Yeah, you were, you know, astudent here that I got to know
a little bit.
You know, through that, thatCOVID summer, I remember you
volunteering to sell t-shirts, Ithink, at a regional cross
country meet that we, we workedat.
I remember coming up one timeand saying, hey Sarah, how's it
going?
And you were like shocked thatI knew who you were, which makes
(46:34):
me, as the AD, feel really good.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Something about those 80s.
Man, you guys got the namesdown and it truly means a lot.
I mean speaking of the amountof athletes that you see coming
through names down and it trulymeans a lot.
I mean speaking of the amountof athletes that you see coming
through the door and um samewith the minnesota 80s to shout
out them as well.
But, um, yeah, it means a lotand, just like the personal
connection that you guys um seekafter is, it does mean a lot.
So thank you for that for sure.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
well, everybody, this has been a heck of a podcast.
Sarah mora, university ofminnesota golden gopher, find
some gear head of something.
This has been a heck of apodcast.
Sarah Murrah, university ofMinnesota Golden Gopher, find
some gear Head to something.
Speaker 4 (47:07):
Get over to Jenison Fieldhouse, yeah, bill.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Kennedy might have to do something.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Oh, I called him out.
I don't know if I could go allMinnesota stuff, because we also
have the Lepsers right.
It would have to be a dividedshirt.
Speaker 3 (47:17):
Let's just show up then.
Well, it's been a greatpleasure to sit down with you.
It's been super fun.
You're one of the mostenergetic people I've sat down
with in quite some time.
Speaker 4 (47:28):
It was an absolute treat.
Thanks so much for coming on.
Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
Thank you guys for doing this.
I think it's going to be greatfor the community too.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
All right, thanks, bye.
who you are as a person and how you treat other
people and how you perform andhow you hold yourself in a way
that is positive and humble, andwhatever that is like.
That speaks volumes, way morethan a record and a record book,
a medal around your neck.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West
Ottawa High School AthleticProgram and you're listening to
the 29.1 Podcast 29 sports, oneteam, the show that brings you
into the lives ofstudent-athletes, coaches and
other faces in the Panthersports community, bringing you
the stories you might otherwisenever hear.
Join myself and AthleticDirector Bill Kennedy as we dive
(00:46):
in with you to get to know eachother a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey everybody, thanks for joining us once again here
on the 29.1 podcast.
Today's episode was a pure joyto record.
Bill and I had a sensationaltime sitting down with this
incredible, accomplished athletewith some of the best energy I
have ever been around yeah 2022.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
West Ottawa grad and current Minnesota Golden Gopher
gymnast, Sarah Murrah.
Sarah's coming off a Big Tenchampionship in the balance beam
and talks about her experiencein the Twin Cities and working
through some mental hurdles thatshe had to go through during
her freshman year at Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
If you're having a bad day, this might lighten the
load.
Sarah Mara, university ofMinnesota, golden Gopher, up
next on the 29.1.
Let's get to it.
Well, hey, everybody, welcomeback to the 29.1 podcast.
(01:51):
It is great to have you alongfor today's podcast.
I'm in the studio with twoabsolutely great people, one of
course being our athleticdirector, bill Kennedy, who I've
gotten to know a lot over thepast few years.
So I can say we're getting alittle tight.
It's kind of fun to get to knowhim a little bit better.
And we have another person inthe studio who is a good friend
of my daughter's.
(02:11):
Who is it?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
It's me, Sarah.
I'm so excited to be here withyou guys.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It's Sarah Marat everybody.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, sarah's a 2022 West Ottawa graduate, entering
her junior year at theUniversity of Minnesota, where
she competes in the gymnasticsprogram.
A specialist in beam and vault,a high flyer.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, high flyer, I've done a crash course in
gymnastics over the last littlebit and I'm absolutely in awe.
We'll talk about that in alittle bit, but you're back in
town for what?
About three weeks or so, right?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yep, a solid three weeks.
We have a different trainingschedule, so we get may at home
and then we're there for juneand july and then we're back at
home for august and then back tothe grind in september.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So short, little time back here, but cherishing every
moment yeah, you're going downa little nostalgia path, walking
in these halls, or what yes,for sure, like the aroma and
everything, I'm just like backin high school right now.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, you said the aroma, which was really kind of
caught me off guard.
Usually it's the visuals ohyeah, these halls but it's the
smell.
For you, what is that?
What's it from?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Um, a lot of different things.
We used to compete like ourhome meets were here.
So like the smell of like thegym and then, I think, also just
like going to like a basketballgame, like and watching like my
peers and classmates too.
It's just like that camaraderieand the energy that went along
with that too, and just theexcitement of being able to be a
part of that was crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
But that's way better than I thought.
I thought it was like the aromacoming from the locker, like a
locker or something that doesn'tseem to be.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Uh, you've been hanging out with some friends.
When you get back I know thisis different for me.
You know my daughter, claire,pretty well.
You guys have done some sportstogether.
You guys were able to hang outthe other night.
What's that like to come backand see some people from your
past.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
It's so nice to catch up.
I think we all have busyschedules when we're back at
school and so making that timeto send a quick text here and
there is great, but face-to-faceis so much better and just
being able to see them and hearthem and get the whole
experience from their bodylanguage too and just hear how
they are doing in their, theiryear went and stuff like that
too.
So it's been really nice tocatch up with everyone and just
(04:19):
kind of see where they're at inlife and their life and their
different chapters, and it's sofun to hear everyone's stories.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So yeah, it's so fun.
I always get a great thrill ofjust spending some time with
some old friends, because it'sdifferent, you know, like people
that know you for a while.
They just know you, you don'thave to pretend to be anything.
You can just be yourself forsure.
Yeah, so that's really great.
Now, you, it is a busy schedulewhen you're here, but I heard
you've also had time to playsome board games with your
family.
Is that the case?
oh yes, we're very competitive,but it's fun for sure you, uh,
(04:48):
you're playing some splendor andsome machi coral right now.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I heard yes, those are our two new ones with, like
my immediate, four, so that'sbeen your immediate four.
You're talking about yourfamily yes, yes, the immediate
my mom, dad, brother and me, andthen when we get to the
extended family it gets a littledifferent play some card games
more euchre and like shanghai,which is another like sets and
runs game, and then at home withfriends, uh, or at school, I
(05:11):
guess now it's more likestrategic fun.
Um, we play a lot of um, secret, hitler, katan, those types of
things love it.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yes, this is all foreign bill bill has, I think,
one of his eyes actually justclosed.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
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'sjust the East Coaster in me,
Maybe it is.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
True, I think it is a Midwest thing.
Euchre, for sure, yeah, likewhenever I play.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
People are like you know, it's like the inner nerds
coming up.
No, no, my nerds right on theoutside.
Like you don't have to go deep.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I love this stuff so yeah, we played a little bit of
spades in college, but that wasabout it.
Yeah, it's a whole other eranow, but it's a different era.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Machi koro, we've played that for a long time.
Yes, that's really fun.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We just or I played for the first time actually last
week, but okay my parents havehad it for a couple months now,
but yeah, a real, a real goodtrick in that game is actually
try and get your airport firstokay 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 (06:23):
Matt, don't listen to this.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well, you had a great season this past year, which
we're going to get into.
You were a Big Ten champion onthe beam Congratulations, Thank
you and we're going to get inmore to that.
But that was amazing.
Just what an accomplishmentfrom being a little girl over at
Champion to doing that.
But yeah, congratulations,We'll keep going.
But now what's reallyinteresting for us Go ahead,
(06:48):
Bill.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yeah.
So you know, as we know, hereat West Ottawa we've got 29
sports, thus the 29-1 kind ofslogan that we use.
Gymnastics is not a schoolsport, but one of the things
that's been really important tome is that we've.
But one of the things that'sbeen really important to me is
that we've had the opportunityto send some girls into the Big
Ten in the world of gymnasticsand we always recognize you as a
(07:13):
Panther.
You may not have ever gotten achance to wear the black and
white on the beam or on thevault, but your photos are
hanging in the walls on thewalls just like everybody else.
Along with the Lepster sisterswho are at MSU want to make sure
that, uh, we continue to sharekind of your story and your
journey through social mediaposts, as we were kind of
(07:34):
setting up to sit down with you.
The one memory of you that Ithat is very vivid for me is
actually it comes from the COVIDsummer right, the time that we
all want to forget.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Let's talk about the good times.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
But we would set up, you know, out at the track every
day and check in studentathletes to come in and get
workouts in.
And I just remember the numberof coaches who came up to me
after a week or two of workoutsand they're like who is this?
Sarah Mara, kid, cause she iscrushing it.
Talk to us a little bit about,like being a part of those
workouts, right and and kind offorming maybe some bonds, uh,
(08:11):
with your fellow students.
Um, even though you weren't atraditional West Ottawa student
athlete.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
That's so funny that you say that, Cause I remember
you coming up to me too and Iwas like I promise I play West
Ottawa sport once too.
No, it was great.
So that, yeah, COVID summer, sowe 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 justgo to the park and shoot a hoop,
(08:38):
Like there's not reallyanything that you can kind of
compare and mirror the sport.
So that was definitely hard.
We were on Zoom every day withthe team and working out and so
just like having someface-to-face contact again and
like working out with someoneright beside you was amazing and
I'm forever grateful that youguys opened that door for me to
(08:58):
be able to participate in.
And yeah, it was fun to dosomething different that was
alongside of my peers I don'tget to hang out with a lot, and
so being able to wake up in themorning, do some more running,
which you don't do a lot of wasa great.
You know, cross training andjust experience to kind of see
what my other friends andteammates do.
So yeah, it was great.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Well, I know for sure that we had you know volleyball
coaches, tennis coaches, folksthat were like we need to get
this girl playing for us?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Well, you did play lacrosse.
What year was that for you?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I did.
I played my freshman year andthen I technically was on the
team sophomore year within COVID, so we didn't actually play.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
That was the first time I personally came across
Sarah Mara, what was reallyfunny.
Back you hopefully you doremember this, but you and my
daughter Claire, when you wouldget your mouthpieces in and your
eyewear on, you wereindistinguishable from each
other.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Oh for sure, yeah, basically twins, I think, since,
like sixth grade too, it waslike we would sit in like math
class together and the teacherwould be like Claire and I'd be
like, oh, like, oh, sarah, it'slike me over here.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
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 alot of fun.
Back in those times, do youremember, uh, what you did
against Grand Haven, that onegame, remember that?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
yes go.
Came up to me our coach and hewas like, would you feel
comfortable like doing a flip onthe field?
And I was like I mean, yes, I'mcapable, but what do you want
me to do?
And he's like I think we haveto have a play and it's going to
be called circus.
And I was like, okay, what doesthat entail?
And he's like, so, actually,you're not really going to have
the ball, you're just going todrop your stick and do a flip.
(10:41):
And I was like, hmm, I don'treally know how I feel about
this, but it was in play and itdid, and it drew everyone's eyes
.
And it drew everyone's eyes,that's for sure it did.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
The opposition was turned away from the ball going.
What is going on here?
It was that distractiontechnique.
Distraction technique.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
for sure, I've seen the basketball team who has a
guy get down on all fours andbark like a dog?
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That was the lacrosse equivalent that year.
Oh man, well, what's reallycool for you.
But you did get a chance to dolike you played volleyball in
middle school.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
My wife coached you actually back then.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
And this is kind of uncommon for a gymnast to do
right.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah for sure.
Yeah, it's practically unheardof, I would say.
I was very fortunate enough tohave a club coach who was super
flexible with me and kind of wasencouraging me in my own dreams
to do something different andbe a part of a school sport as
well, and then also verythankful for lacrosse coaches as
well, too, and volleyball, whowere able to also be flexible
(11:36):
with me and kind of work with myschedule too, because it's not
easy to work around a four hourpractice every day.
But we were able to do that andable to do that, and so, yeah,
it was great.
I loved both experiences,obviously in a perfect world.
I would have loved to do itthroughout high school, but just
in the long run of keeping mehealthy and on track I knew that
(11:57):
wasn't the case, but I honestlyattribute a lot of probably my
success and endurance in thesport to being able to do other
things, Cause I wasn't burnedout Like a lot of other girls.
My age were at the point of youknow the 30 hour weeks and
everything.
So, yeah, it was a greatopportunity to step aside, try
something different.
I think it made me a betterathlete too, in terms of um,
(12:18):
gymnastics is so individual andclub very different in college,
where it's very team oriented.
But do something where I'm partof a bigger team, um, work on
that hand hand eye coordinationtoo, which is a lot different
from stepping on the beam.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
But, yeah, it was great and so you kind of alluded
to it a little bit.
Is the the grind of being ahigh level gymnast?
You're back for three weeks andyou've got some time off, but
you're not really off becauseyou're back for three weeks and
you've got some time off butyou're not really off because
you're back at the old facility.
What's it like going back intothat facility where you really
grew up and getting to go backthere and be around your coaches
(12:55):
again?
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, it's, it's great, it's crazy Again, kind of
like being back here.
It's kind of the all thememories start to flood back
into the brain a little bit.
But yeah, definitely not off.
Stop in for a few hours a daynot as long as normal, but it's
always nice to have a little bitof a break but also kind of
keep it up a little bit.
It's good to see a lot of oldteammates, but also there's a
(13:17):
lot of new faces that I don'tknow at all.
So it's been fun to kind of getto know them a little bit and
see how the program has changed.
My head coach, who was therefor oh gosh, I don't even know
how long, but she just steppeddown this summer.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So and who was that?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Tammy yes.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Tammy Shasma Shout out to her for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yes, oh, 100%, oh, gee, right there.
So, yeah, it's been great.
Obviously, chalk on too, so Icame from the gym earlier today,
but, um, yeah, it's great to bethere and kind of relive those
moments again.
Um, yeah, it's been good andthat place has been very
(14:05):
successful in producing highlevel gymnasts, um, all across
the big 10, right, um, maybetalk to us a little bit about
what's you know the culturewithin champion that has kind of
allowed that to happen.
Yeah, yeah, definitely a lot ofsuccess.
Um, I would say the main thingwas just like that family aspect
.
I mean, I would have said Tammy, I was in her group since I was
in fifth grade, so definitelyraised me like another mom,
would I probably spent more timewith her than my own mom at
some points, just because it wasschool to practice and that she
would be driving us to campsand meets and all the things too
(14:28):
sometimes.
So, yeah, she, I credit so muchto her in the sense of creating
just an atmosphere where peopleum, encouraging and lifting
people up.
I think a lot of obviously poorand bad things have come out
about our sport in the past fewyears too, and so it kind of
gets a bad rep in the sense of alot of coaches are very
hardcore and beyond strict inmultiple levels and not healthy
(14:51):
in many ways as well.
But I was very thankful to growup in a very healthy
environment where not only was Icoached with kind words and
smiles and laughs, but taughtthe importance of having fun and
truly um, not being punishedfor not like my circumstances or
anything like that.
So definitely amazingexperience.
(15:11):
And then even like comparing myown stories to my teammates now
at minnesota, I definitely wasone of very few to have that
great experience in clubs, so Iwould never trade that for the
world when we're in like thisrinky, dinky little champion,
but I love it and it that's willever, forever will be home.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So yeah, probably pretty cool too is the your
college schedule is beingreleased and then you're going
through the season to run intosome of those old teammates from
champion right friendly faces,even though they're wearing
opposite colors yes, no, it'sgreat.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Um, um.
Yeah, I saw John and Stephanielike two times last year and
we're just like running up toeach other, like we're like
don't mind us, we just need tolike catch up for a second.
Um, another teammate's going tobe at MSU this year too.
So, yeah, it's super excitingand just like the bonds that you
create across even differentgyms too, is amazing to run into
someone like in Alabama or inIdaho or whatever it might be.
(16:07):
So it's exciting for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
I'm glad you had a really good experience there,
because, boy, did you spend somehours there.
Malcolm Gladwell, of course, inhis 28, sorry 2008 book
Outliers, talks about the 10,000hours, and 10,000 hours, of
course, is what you need tobecome an elite in your sport.
Have you ever tried tocalculate yours?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I haven't.
Oh, I have, I really need to,and we're going to play around
right now.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I'm going to pull up this calculator and I'm an old
dude so it's going to take mehalf a second.
All right, we're going to havesome fun here.
How many hours a week?
How you started at a second orthird grade?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
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 aweek.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
All right, we're even going to go on the low end.
We're going to say 20 a weektimes 50 weeks a year.
We're going to take a coupleweeks hours a year just there
from age six to.
We're gonna times that by 20now, so 14 by 14, so you put in
14 000.
I didn't really need thecalculator for that once I got
through the thousand mark, butyou put in 14 000 hours.
(17:15):
You know, of all the sportsthat we talk about, whether it
be football or basketball orvolleyball, there is not a sport
to me.
Maybe swimming does, but thereis not a sport to me.
Maybe swimming does, butthere's not a sport that
compares to that to me.
Like the hours you put in.
I'm glad you had a greatexperience, but the amount of
sacrifice and work you've put in, do you ever like look back on
(17:37):
going?
Wow, I actually put that muchtime in.
Like, what's that like for you?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
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 likeI knew nothing different, like I
was just always there and thoseare like the beginning memories
too, and so, yeah, it isdifferent, it's weird to look
back, but I, like I said,haven't known anything else.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
So you had a.
You have not lost your love forthe sport else.
So you've had a.
You have not lost your love forthe sport.
Uh, one thing that showed methat you haven't lost your love
for your sport was when you weredoing some recruitment stuff.
You sent out some pictures whenyou were being recruited.
Your mom told me can you tellme, tell us what those were?
Oh, goodness.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, so we had during like my recruiting
process I did like a fun factFriday, so that was kind of my
way to kind of set myself apartfrom other athletes trying to
get to the same schools.
So I guess I don't know exactlywhich ones you're referring to,
because there was many.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Well, just in general , I love to jump off things.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh, yes, I love to jump off things for sure.
So yeah, any little fun fact Icould hint at that made me a
little bit different Love tothrow out there.
But yes, going back to jumpingoff things, I'm very adventurous
, I love the thrill.
So any like cliff into water onvacation, like we have to go
there, like there's no question,like we're stopping, so
definitely a lot of heads turnflipping off the cliffs, but my
(18:59):
brother joins me.
We'll even get my dad in theresometimes, but it's great.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
So, yeah, I love the thrill love anything outdoors
adventurous, I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, that is definitely proven, because I saw
recently your brothercelebrated a birthday and there
was a backflip situation goinginto.
Was that Lake Michigan, I wouldimagine?
Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
It's, it's it.
It's really amazing the thingsthat you do.
Uh, I was gonna get to this alittle bit later, but miles to
talk about now.
One of the things that'samazing about gymnastics is
there's a lot of sports that wecan relate to as human beings,
as people, right?
So bowling comes on on asaturday afternoon, which I'll
watch.
My family thinks I'm weird, butbowling will come on a saturday
(19:42):
afternoon.
I'll watch them.
Like, yeah, I could do that.
I could if I, if I put in thetime, I could probably pull that
off.
You know, or you see somebodyshooting an open basketball shot
from the corner three.
Well, I could probably nailthat when I watch gymnastics.
I am under no illusion.
Nope, that we can do this, youknow.
I sat down, I said what's aquestion I really want to ask
her, and one of the things thatcame to my mind was what is it
(20:04):
like to be able to do what youdo, like it's for us as regular
humans?
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Yes, I'm putting us in that category.
Just walking across the balancebeam would be a struggle for me
.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
What's it like for you to be able to do that?
Speaker 1 (20:17):
It's crazy.
I think a lot of times too,because I've been doing it for
so long, I just am like, evenlike the, like a basic cartwheel
, or, like you said, walkingacross the beam, I'm like, oh
yeah, you, like you guys coulddo it, like I would tell you
that, like 100%, I'd be like, oh, you'd be fine, like it's fine.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And then like you do not want to see me, I do.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
You can come in.
Stop, in the way I like, benddown to pick up things off the
floor I like just like lift myleg up, like it's just normal,
and people are like, what areyou doing?
And I'm like sorry, this isnormal for me.
Oh, that's so great.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Yeah, it was last night, as I'm.
You know, I'm an addict when itcomes to sports.
So when I'm at home in my freetime I'm watching sports.
And then last night I'm tuninginto Hard Knocks on HBO and you
got Simone Biles, his husband,who was on the Chicago Bears,
and he's kind of come back andthe guys are asking him
questions and he talks about hiswife and the things that she
(21:17):
does and he obviously is ahigh-level athlete in the NFL
and they show a clip of themdoing a rope climb.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
I love this video.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
It's so good, um, so you've got this NFL guy on one
rope and his wife, uh, simoneBiles, on the other rope, and
she grabs the rope, she sticksher legs straight out in front
of her, so she's at a 90 degreeangle and she is upper body
strength up the rope like boom,so fast and he is all over the
(21:47):
place.
His body's all contorted.
He gets about halfway up andshe's already done.
Yeah, um so, yeah, I I thinkthat speaks to gymnasts just do
things that normal people cannot.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
It is true.
It is cannot.
It is true, sarah, it isdifferent.
Yeah, it is true.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
We're going to get into some detail now of your
career, if that's all right withyou.
Well, first of all, the seasonfor gymnasts is usually in the
winter, what January throughApril.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
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 ofMinnesota a little bit.
What's it like to be there?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
It's good.
I think the most commonquestion I get is is it cold
there?
It's pretty much the same ashere, so that's the same, I
think.
Honestly, the walking betweenNorth and South to prepare me
for that as well.
It's good.
Less snow, but it's good.
A lot of green spaces, which Ilove.
Being in kind of near a bigcity, I was like kind of a
(22:52):
little hesitant, just because Ilove nature and being outside,
but they definitely do a greatjob with that.
And just being with 40,000people is crazy, just like I
never really see a face again,which is really weird.
So, like in a perfect world, Iwould have preferred a smaller
school, but I like it.
The excitement on campus is fun.
(23:12):
Game days are fun for the mostpart.
So, yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
And what's and what's different for you now, too, is
you have a team, a school teamthat you're on.
Yes, how's that different?
Speaker 1 (23:24):
oh, it's so different , but way more fun, way more fun
.
Um, yeah, so in club it's veryindividualized kind of.
If you fall, like it's on you,it affects you.
But now it's kind of a biggeraspect and you got 17 other
girls backs on your shoulderstoo, so it's definitely a
different experience in terms ofpressure and what that entails.
(23:46):
But it's so like it'sincredible and there's nothing
else like it.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
When you like land something and like 18 people are
just running towards you andlike that's so sweet yeah,
high-fiving hugs, whatever coachis lifting you up, like it's
amazing, it's so fun, yeah itprobably ingrains you even more
so into the university communityas well, right, because you're
wearing those colors.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yes, and you're representing the school 100%
yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You have had a really good first two years.
It's not common and I could bewrong on this, but it's not
common to be able to get thereand compete right away.
Right, you've been able to dothat.
I went through your bio on theUniversity of Minnesota and I'm
not going to go through it allbecause there's just too much to
talk about, but you're prettyaccomplished there.
(24:33):
Really nice for you to be ableto pull that off First year,
first semester a breeze for you.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yeah, for the most part, Right I?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
mean you got into it.
Your season doesn't start untilsecond semester, more or less,
but you got in.
You had a group of people thatyou could do things with a nice
smooth transition, other thangetting your bike stolen during
the first week.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Worst day ever, worst day ever.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
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 away right, you had a bit of a
thing you had to go through toget there.
Can you tell me about whatstarted to happen to you with
schooling and the fact that,being a gymnast, you're shooting
for perfection on everythingthat you do?
(25:19):
How did that affect you andwhat started to happen?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yeah Well, kind of like how you mentioned, um first
semester, I kind of had like adifferent experience than like
most people.
Kind of transitioning Like minehappened later where I was
struggling.
Um, first semester was great.
I didn't end up fracturing myankle like in October, so that
kind of was like a little bit ofa hindrance, but I think it was
great for me just to it openedmy eyes, just to look around and
kind of get the feel for howthis team aspect was supposed to
(25:46):
work Right.
I hadn't done that really formost of my career and so just
being able to cheer everyone onand kind of get that lens was
great and I think that like Iwasn't really sad or upset or
frustrated.
It was a great experience forme to kind of sit back and learn
and get a little strongermentally and physically.
Um, so yeah, I came back in inJanuary, started the um meet
season.
I'm competed, beam involvedconsistently throughout that
(26:08):
year.
Um, and kind of the hittingpoint was a meet against Iowa
and it was about like a third toa halfway through the season
and so, beam, I was actually theanchor on beam, so kind of what
that looks like what does thatmean?
you were the anchor yes, sothere's six up on every event
and five scores count and so youhave like a lineup.
(26:29):
So everyone's kind of in theirparticular spot and we get like
a lineup each week like the daybefore the meet usually stays
pretty consistent throughout theyear but there might be some
changes here and there and andso kind of.
That anchor spot is all rightif one person kind of messes up
or falls earlier.
Like it's kind of on you tocontinue to stay on the beam and
perform well and be consistent.
So that person is normallyconsistent, you can count on
(26:51):
them and so as a freshman it wasdefinitely like a big deal to
be in that spot.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That was you.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
That was me, yeah, so my freshman year and so kind of
the beginning I didn't reallythink anything of it.
When I was approached about it,I was just kind of like, yeah,
I'm used to going last, like noone on my team likes to go first
, so I'll just go last and likewhatever and so.
But it's like a totallydifferent aspect when you're
competing for your team too.
No-transcript, the lineup andfortunately I performed well,
(27:58):
like got a season high for theyear, but we tied like with us,
so we tied against Iowa.
And so I was constantly likelooking back and I was well,
like got a season high for theyear, but we tied, like with us,
so we tied against Iowa.
And so I was constantly likelooking back and I was like, oh,
if I just didn't do this onething, if I pointed my toe here,
like we would have won.
Like it's on me, like I shouldhave done better and it's, I
think, something that isingrained into us later on in
college is like it's like, it'son everyone, right, even the
(28:18):
people not in the lineup, andthey're standing over there.
Maybe they could have cheeredlouder Not really that that
would affect your ability, butwe'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 soI was constantly putting all the
pressure on myself.
So that was really hard.
I came back the Monday after andI remember I was on ball and I
(28:39):
just broke down.
I was just bawling and myathletic trainer took me to the
side and was like hey, what'sgoing on?
You've been really quiet lately.
I just noticed something's offand I was just like I'm so
overwhelmed.
I was sleeping about threehours a night.
I came back from class dinnerat like 8 pm, would study till
(29:00):
like midnight and then just mymind would spiral for like three
hours at night of like I shouldbe doing this right now, I need
to do this like this is realstuff athletes yes, this is the
real it is real and um beyondthat.
I was also having a lot of panicattacks too, which I had never
experienced before.
I would call my mom like notbreathing, because I would just
(29:20):
be so worked up and I like Iwould just cry into the phone
like multiple times a day.
I did not like gymnastics atthis point.
I didn't like school, and ofcourse that perfectionism also
was in the school realm as well.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
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 (29:40):
So that was just kind of elevated in that scenario
and so, um, yeah, so we kind ofworked things out.
I started seeing sports psych alot, which was super helpful
just to, um, hear anotherperson's perspectives and kind
of take my circumstances and mythoughts and like, separate them
Right, um, cause your thoughtscan do a lot, a lot to change
(30:03):
what actually you perceive orwhat you is actually going on,
and so that was super helpful.
I had an amazing, amazingsupport support staff.
Um, athletic trainer wasawesome, um, obviously, sports
like, and my coaches were morethan encouraging and helpful in
that time.
And I was taken out of the BeMine Up the next weekend and
(30:24):
they kind of pulled me aside andwere like we will put you in if
you really want to, but wethink like this is for the best
and just for you to sit back andkind of reflect and just
realize, like you like all thework that you put in, all the
time, effort, whatever, and it'sjust I was putting so much of
my identity in how I wasperforming instead of the person
that I was in, just like theability to do what I like was
(30:48):
gifted and the ability that Iwas able to do.
So that was super hard,definitely a low point, for sure
, in my college career, but Idon't think I would have been as
successful or enjoyed even thislast season as much as I did
without that experience.
Um, I remember I was calling tomy head coach's office and it
was one we have like one-on-oneswith our coaches.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
We'll give a shout out to your head coach.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yes, Jenny Hanson, she's awesome.
Yes, Um, and she was like doyou know who won like the 53 in
like 2012 at Minnesota?
And I was like no, and she'slike okay, like tell me like who
your favorite teacher was inhigh school and college and why.
And I was like I went on and on.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Who was your favorite teacher in high school?
Let's give them a shout outright now.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Shout out Mr McNitt and Mr Myers, yes, loved them.
Everyone was great, don't worry.
And just like that was therealization.
It didn't like totally fix myproblem at that point, but just
like realizing, like who you areas a person and how you treat
other people and how you performand how you hold yourself in a
(31:57):
way that is positive and humbleand whatever that is like.
That speaks volumes, way morethan a record and a record book,
a medal around your neck.
And I think that was kind of theperspective change I needed to
just realize like there's muchway more to me than my talent
(32:17):
and my accomplishments andaccolades, which I had been
chasing after my entire life ofjust like what's next, and like
I was never really satisfiedwith those things either.
Right, you're on, even ifyou're on the top of the podium.
It felt good for three secondsand it was like, okay, like
what's next, like, and that'snot, that's not how it should be
right, you should be able tocelebrate a little bit and find
(32:38):
something that really definesyou outside of winning.
It's like how you carryyourself and do that and be a
good teammate and cheer otherpeople on.
So, yeah, it was definitely adifficult transition for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
You also?
Speaker 4 (32:55):
you got to enjoy the journey and you know you're the
third now alumni that we've beenable to sit down with and in
all of those sit downs withCooper Terpstra and Gabby
Reynolds now you, they all gothrough.
It's a very natural thing for acollege athlete to go through
times of doubt and you know realintrospection and struggle like
(33:17):
that.
That's what sets, I think,college athletics apart from the
high school realm right Becauseeveryone is really good.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
So it's really I thank you so much for kind of
sharing those in that journeywith us because, our hope is
that our current West Ottawastudent athletes are going to
hear some of this and it'll helpthem out when they get to that
point.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Yeah, for sure you also in, I believe, may of 2023,
you also went to Kenya.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
I did yes.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
And this was empowering you through sport.
This probably also your momtold me this also affected you
somewhat, yes, but it's alsokind of affected the your career
choice.
You kind of shifted a littlebit, went to a different area.
Can you speak to that a littlebit?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
yeah.
So I came into college thinkingI was going to do kinesiology
on the pre-pt track and then Ihad an incredible professor my
freshman fall semester and shewas taking kids to Kenya in May
and I was like this is somethingI want to do, like I like I
don't know what it was, but Iwas like I go.
And so, again, shout out Jennyfor letting me skip three weeks
(34:27):
of training, but it's great.
She always encourages thosethings.
So it was amazing, but yeah, soI went to Kenya for three weeks
.
We visited over 20 differentnonprofit organizations, that
kind of work with kids in theslums and kind of poor areas of
the communities and kind of usesport as an avenue to kind of
(34:47):
pull them out of poverty, getthem on the right track.
Many times a lot of thoseathletes come to the US on like
scholarships too, for sports aswell.
So it was just a veryeye-opening experience to see
how much sports can kind ofunify people all over and it's
just like this universallanguage.
(35:08):
Obviously, a lot of them spokesome English too, as well as
their Swahili, but even if Icouldn't understand them again,
that's like kicking a soccerball with somehow just like this
universal saying that we'reconnected.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Yeah, that universal smile goes a long way,
especially on the face of achild.
For sure, I just saw a littlebit of that with you know, going
through the Olympics and that'swhen gymnastics probably gets
its biggest boost.
Speaker 4 (35:34):
Right you have little girls all across the country
now who are like I want to dothat.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
You've also carried this to campus somewhat with
Team Impact, so I talked to yourmom about this and this just
warmed my heart to hear this.
Can you speak briefly to that,if that's all right?
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah.
So Team Impact is a nonprofitorganization that pairs kids
with chronic illnesses anddisabilities with college sports
teams all around the country.
So my freshman year we werematched with a child.
Her name is Jordan and she was15 at the country.
So my freshman year we werematched with a child Her name is
Jordan and she was 15 at thetime and she was a gymnast, an
amputee, had some otherillnesses as well, and I just
(36:12):
fell in love with what our teamgot to do.
We had her on the floor atevery home meet.
She was announced with us, gotto help us in all the different
areas on there.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Did she get some of those great leotards?
Speaker 4 (36:24):
oh yeah, that's a fun , that's a fun part like just to
watch, like just all the Idon't know what the bedazzle is
that what it is.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
There's so much fun anyways, but yours yours.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Your teams look great too, so I'm sure she loved that
yeah, um.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
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 aperspective what does that mean
exactly?
Yeah.
So my job, um, as a fellow forthe university of Minnesota team
impact campus, is that I'm kindof the bridge between like team
impact and then the sports team.
So I help with all the matcheson campus in terms of so like we
(37:00):
have seven, so like football,basketball, like a bunch of
different sports have a kid thatthey're matched with, and so I
um help create like awarenessgames that all the matches can
come to.
So I'll reach out to like ourbasketball and marketing team
and be like hey, like I reallythink we should do this.
Yes, oh, I love it.
The planning in me loves it.
So, um, yeah, and I'm like,okay, how can we do this?
(37:21):
How can we have them sitcourtside or whatever it might
be?
And then, yeah, they kind ofhelped me, a bunch of different
teams helped me kind of put thattogether and get like the
camera crew on board so theyhighlight them on the Jumbotron
in their certain section andthen get them to tour the locker
room afterwards and whatever itmight be.
And I think it's a great timefor not only the team to support
(37:46):
their match but also thematches to kind of come together
and spend time with each othertoo, and so that's been really
exciting to see.
And then I also do some medicaloutreach.
So I've been to a few hospitalsand kind of speak to them,
reach out to them and talk totheir head of staff and stuff
like that, and kind of sit downwith a PowerPoint and tell them
(38:06):
about Team Impact and why theyshould continue to recruit kids
and why they should come to the?
U too.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Did your involvement in the LINCS program here at
West Ottawa maybe prepare you orinfluence you to kind of go in
this direction?
Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yes, I absolutely loved being a link here.
Um missed the kids so much andin fact kept in touch with many
of them my freshman andsophomore year too um,
throughout the email too.
So that was awesome.
But, yes, 100% was the Avenue Ikind of wanted to continue to
(38:45):
mirror and just kind of see thejoy and just like the little
things that make some otherpeople happy is just incredible
and just kind of keeps megrounded too, and just like
enjoying the little moments inlife too, because it's so easy
to get caught up in the next bigthing or big event, but there's
so many little things to begrateful for too.
So, yeah, yes, to answer yourquestion.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Yes, wow, sitting down with you right now, I just
feel this incredible sense ofjoy and calm and peace that you
have.
It's fun to be around it.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Pure energy.
Let's get to that wonderfulmoment, the Big Ten, where you
won the Beam Championship A9.925.
We're staying away fromperfection.
We're not going to focus on thenumber, but it's a heck of a
number.
It's online.
Got a chance to watch it.
Incredible what you canactually do on a beam.
Can you talk about that day,what it meant to you, that sort
(39:31):
of thing?
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Oh man, it was awesome, especially being in
front of a home crowd.
I was able to have a lot offamily and friends there, which
was awesome to just be able todo that for them and in front of
them for the first time in awhile for some of them, and I
think it was just so exciting.
So the Big Ten championship islike split up into two different
(39:52):
sessions, so like the lower sixteams are in the first session
and then the top four in thenight session.
So we were in the night sessionand you kind of want to be,
just because you end up likescoring higher and all the
things, and so we were, yeah, soexcited to walk in.
We yeah, it was just anunbelievable experience and just
like the energy in that roomand just being a part of like
(40:15):
some of the best gymnastics inthe country too and just being
up against, like you said,former teammates and different
friends I had met throughout myclub years too, was an exciting
experience.
And just to do that alongsideof 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 alittle tough.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
By one-tenth.
Just a bit right, yeah,one-tenth.
One-tenth, michigan State, yesyes, they did amazing.
Yeah, so some joy for MichiganState, obviously, and this was
at Jenison Field.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
It was at Jenison yep and so, yeah, kind of, we ended
on ball.
They had one more beam girl togo and we ended and went 9-9-7-5
.
So almost a perfect 10, got 10from one judge and 9-9-5 from
the other, and we were just likeholding our breath,
unfortunately came up short.
But I think, kind of just goingback to everything I learned in
(41:04):
my first semester too, thathard semester was just like I.
Of course it was disappointing,right, and it's like hard to be
that close and fall short, butit's just like another testament
to like winning and losing isjust, it's just part of the
sport, right.
I probably won't remember beinglike second or whatever it was,
or like on the podium, but I'llremember like the small moments
(41:27):
in the locker room where we'redancing ahead of time or we're
cheering on each other, or thegames that we play on the bus
right there or whatever it mightbe.
So I think it was just likeanother testament to just like
soak in the moment and just bethankful for where I was at and
just the experience that I wasable to have for sure.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
And you have some really great support with that
gopher nation, right Like you soyou traveled a lot.
You're on a plane.
Yes A lot with your sportparents, and there's a group of
people that they come with you,right, they travel.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
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 maroonuh overalls that a lot of the
the dads wear.
My dad loves sporting hisgopher outfit.
Um, he's got like the maroonand yellow like hair going he
goes really he's that far.
Yes, yes, yeah, it's you know,maybe like little embarrassing
(42:20):
but I love him very much no,it's great.
Yeah, we, it's funny.
We, whenever we travel away, umthe home crowd normally comes
up to our parents and they'relike you guys travel better than
we do, and we're like 10minutes down the road, and so I
think it's just like a statementof how much like the community
environment comes around, butalso just like how much fun our
(42:40):
parents have together too, and Ithink it's like fun to see them
like grow relationships too andenjoy the journey as much as my
teammates and I do as well.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
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 Ottawaparent, I've met so many people
at West Ottawa, just sitting instands with them and you start
talking sports, whatever, andit's really enjoyable.
So I'll have to see if I startcoloring my hair.
I don't know if that's cominganytime soon Black and white.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
I've already got that going on.
Have you seen this?
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Yeah, I've seen that video.
Bill's really gotten into itthe last six months.
That's for sure.
What's really cool is you arealso building they're building a
new gymnast facility.
I saw that sign the beamceremony.
Yes, Tell me, are you excitedabout that?
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Are you going to be able to get in there before you
leave?
Yeah, I'm over the moon aboutit.
So they broke ground in Marchof this year and it should be
finished in December, so it'sbeen a long time coming.
We basically, like the past,like 15 recruiting classes were
promised a new gym, so it's beena long time coming.
A lot of people that I'mthankful for paving the way
before me.
But yeah, we're super excited.
(43:49):
We're right next to our athletevillage and the football
facility and all the othersports.
We were definitely kind of outand far away a little bit, so
it's going to be nice to be inone area, being able to go to
class, go right to practice andthen hit the dining hall right
after that.
So it's just, everything'sgoing to be so convenient for
sure.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
So that's going to be done this December.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Yes, that's fast yes.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
That's really quick, yeah, when I start to think
about the building projects wehave going on and the amount of
time that it takes to getthrough that.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
What classes do you have coming?
Speaker 1 (44:24):
up this fall.
Yeah, so I'm taking a lot moreof major specific courses.
Um, so I'm studying humanresource development now and so
a lot of like org developmentstuff, um, kind of that way
curriculum based classes, stufflike that and kind of how to
like run a training program likefor different, like new
employees and stuff like that.
So, yeah, be should be a goodsemester that's really fantastic
(44:46):
.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
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 havewhen you finish your routine and
you land.
You are jumping around, you areso excited and you nailed that
landing too right.
Like for the non gymnast person, we always just say, oh, it's
(45:07):
all about the landing.
You nailed that landing and youare so happy.
What?
What were you feeling?
I know it's kind of the thehorrible sports question to ask,
but I'm gonna do it for thistime.
What was that feeling like whenyou just hit that stuff?
Speaker 1 (45:22):
yeah, oh, just like the utmost joy, I think, and
just being able to do it infront of a home crowd was or
home for me, I guess a homecrowd was amazing and just like
seeing all like the work and thedifferent experiences that I
had gone through the past twoyears prior to that kind of pay
off and just like it kind of waslike another reminder of like
(45:45):
why I love the sport that I do,and just like the crowd erupting
and people like jumping at youand the coaches are going crazy,
like it's just a feeling thatyou really can't replicate any
other way and it's somethingthat I've grown up watching
college gymnastics and I waslike, oh, I can't wait to do
that college salute, like that'sgoing to be me someday and
finally living out that dream isjust a full circle moment.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
This has been so enjoyable, Sarah.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
I don't even know what to tell you.
Yeah, you were, you know, astudent here that I got to know
a little bit.
You know, through that, thatCOVID summer, I remember you
volunteering to sell t-shirts, Ithink, at a regional cross
country meet that we, we workedat.
I remember coming up one timeand saying, hey Sarah, how's it
going?
And you were like shocked thatI knew who you were, which makes
(46:34):
me, as the AD, feel really good.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Something about those 80s.
Man, you guys got the namesdown and it truly means a lot.
I mean speaking of the amountof athletes that you see coming
through names down and it trulymeans a lot.
I mean speaking of the amountof athletes that you see coming
through the door and um samewith the minnesota 80s to shout
out them as well.
But, um, yeah, it means a lotand, just like the personal
connection that you guys um seekafter is, it does mean a lot.
So thank you for that for sure.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
well, everybody, this has been a heck of a podcast.
Sarah mora, university ofminnesota golden gopher, find
some gear head of something.
This has been a heck of apodcast.
Sarah Murrah, university ofMinnesota Golden Gopher, find
some gear Head to something.
Speaker 4 (47:07):
Get over to Jenison Fieldhouse, yeah, bill.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Kennedy might have to do something.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Oh, I called him out.
I don't know if I could go allMinnesota stuff, because we also
have the Lepsers right.
It would have to be a dividedshirt.
Speaker 3 (47:17):
Let's just show up then.
Well, it's been a greatpleasure to sit down with you.
It's been super fun.
You're one of the mostenergetic people I've sat down
with in quite some time.
Speaker 4 (47:28):
It was an absolute treat.
Thanks so much for coming on.
Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
Thank you guys for doing this.
I think it's going to be greatfor the community too.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
All right, thanks, bye.
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Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.