Interview with Oklahoma Gymnast Katherine LeVasseur

What age did you start gymnastics?

3

How did you start gymnastics?

My older sisters did gymnastics when they were younger and I followed them into it. My mom did mommy and me classes and was always in the gym at a young age with my sisters.

How did you overcome mental blocks?

  If I was afraid of a skill, I always took a step back and went back to the basics or back to the drill to build up my confidence again.

Who was your role model/ or someone you looked up to in the sport?

I always looked up to Shawn Johnson because she was an amazing gymnast and did it with such joy, she is also thriving now as a mom after gymnastics which I look up to. I also always looked up to the older girls in my gym who went to college and did college gymnastics

What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? 

My hardest struggle during my time was transitioning into college, it was very different and with Covid it made times even tougher, but with the help of all the staff and teammates here I overcame it and have gained so much strength and confidence in my four years here! 

How did you handle nerves when you were competing?

Take deep breaths! If I’m nervous I take a five second deep breath and that always calms me down, I also like to dance or just talk with teammates to relax myself!

What was your biggest accomplishment in gymnastics?

Competing for the University of Oklahoma and winning a team championship!

What did you do after you were done competing? Did you stay involved or did you do something totally different?

I am currently still competing in my final senior season here at the university of Oklahoma but plan to continue my education after with a masters in dietetics! Gymnastics will always have my heart and will always be involved and support my Sooners and gymnastics competitions! 

What would people need to know if you are starting the sport for the first time? 

Gymnastics is a fun and unique sport, it requires lots of time and dedication but totally worth it went you work hard, accomplish goals and love it! 

What is your favorite meet?

My favorite meet was the 2022 NCAA championships when we won but was down the whole meet, it was so exciting and fun and we really came together as a team and brought the energy. The team atmosphere was the best!!

How did you handle pressure from peers/coaches/fans?

Focus on what you can control and what you can do to accomplish your goals! They are there to help and support you in so many ways, yes it can be tough when things don’t go perfectly but just trust yourself and trust your training! Peers, coaches, and fans are your biggest supporters, so as long as you are doing your best and working hard they will be proud!

How do you overcome setbacks and challenges?

Hard work and perseverance! Everyone goes through struggles and setbacks but focus on the positives that you can do to get better in any way you can! Stay positive and know that good will come and your hard work will pay off!

Did college gymnastics ever cross your mind as something you wanted to do?

Yes college gymnastics was always my dream, of course as a little girl I wanted to go to the Olympics, but as I got older and saw college gymnastics, I knew that’s what I wanted to do! It looked so fun and having a team to do it with while getting an education inspired me and motivated me to reach that goal! 

Least favorite event and favorite event? And why?

My least favorite event is vault, because it can be very repetitive and even though it’s super cold and fun to watch the other events are more fun for me! My favorite event is beam because there are so many skills you can do and it’s the most fun to train and learn new skills on!

Hardest and easiest gymnastics skill to train?

The hardest skill for me to train is bar dismounts, they have always gave me a hard time learning new ones, but my easiest skill to train are my beam skills or my releases on bars, those are my favorite skills and fun to train!

How did/do you deal with getting in your head on skills?

Take a deep breath always and go back to the basics if I’m scared or feel not ready. Also tell myself I got this because I know overthinking never works for me! Also remind myself that I have done it so many times so it’s just another time! 

How did you stay out of your head at practice and at meets?

I like to listen to music to calm myself down before a meet and take deep breaths! Also love to talk with teammates which always helps me relax and have fun all the time! 

Have any of you got a skill for a few weeks on any event and they a week or too later you just can’t do it? This is happening with my round off on beam right now but glad I have a back up series? If this has happened to you how have you dealt with it or overcame it? 

Yes this has definitely happened to me so you are not the only one! This has happened many times with bar dismounts for me, I will have it great for a week then it just goes away or gets a little crazy after a week, which I know is very frustrating but it’s completely normal! Skills will come and go, just have to be patience and keep working hard, go back to the basics when needed and build up that confidence again and you will be able to do it again! 

Advice you would give to current or people who want to start in the sport?

Trust the process, it will be tough at times but keep working hard, have big dreams and goals and persevere through it all! Anyone can do it and never count yourself out!