Interview UNC Commit Brielle Rousseau

1. What age did you start gymnastics?

18 months

2. How did you start in gymnastics?

My brothers were put into it and we were always climbing around, so my mom also put me in it.

3. How did you deal with mental blocks?

Key words, using mental strategies such as positive reinforcement, and communicating with coaches to find a plan to get me back to the skill, such as doing drills, timers, and etc.

4. Who was your role model/someone you looked uo to in the sport?

I have loved Gabby Douglas since I was a little girl, and the 2016 olympics. I also looked up to older teamates who were off to college because I wanted to be like them, in a way where I wanted to accomplish their goals in the collegiate world, and I wanted to be as passionate and determined as them.

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

Injuries, I recently had a surgery and overcoming it has been difficult mentally, because you see all your teammates achieving their goals while you are sitting on the side and it’s very hard to still have so much love for a sport when you are not able to do it. Also, having those mental thoughts of it I was ever going to have the same skills as I had before injuries, and retraining yourself all of these skills you have had for so long can be frustrating.

6. How do you handle nerves when you are competing?

Breathing, and doing pressure routines at practice. I like to recreate the environment and the emotions I feel during a practice so I am more familiar with them during competitions, and I know how to control it more.

7. What was your biggest accomplishment in gymnastics?

Being recruited to join the UNC gymnastics team and do collegiate gymnastics. It has always been my goal to go to the collegiate level, and it take so much dedication and love for the sport, in good and bad times, to make it there.

8. When you were done competing in the sport? Did you stay involved in it with coaching etc?

I went and ate food, and rewatched competition videos. Sometimes I feel like a routine looked completely different when I was doing it rather than watching it, so noticing those little errors or positives helps me remember to do it next time i’m competing, or work on it at practices.

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

Gymnastics can be hard, especially because the sport is all about your ability to do 4 completely different events. You have a team, but it’s mostly an individual sport, which can make it isolating and you can often be comparing yourself. I always tell myself and other teammates that this is your journey, and the fact that you can even do a flip or the simplest skill is so impressive to non gymnasts. This is your path, and don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t do xyz”. Be positive, and truly love the sport.

10. What is your favorite meet?

DP Nationals, because you get to see so many girls from all over the country, and make so many friends. It’s such a fun experience getting to see so much gymnastics, and these girls are so talented.

11. How did you handle pressure form peers/coaches/fans?

I remember that I do this sport for me, and what I can control is me and my mind. I can’t control the reactions of peers, coaches, or anyone but my own. It’s just me out there on the bar, floor, beam, or vault, so don’t think about anything else going on during a meet. Just think about your routines, yourself, and your goals.

12. How do you overcome setbacks and challenges?

I like to talk to my teammates about how I am feeling, and get their advice and support. It is so much easier to overcome challenges when your teammates are cheering you on, or giving you advice to help.

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

Yes. I have wanted to do it since I was maybe 10 or younger. My first reaction of “oh I want to do this” was Kaitlyn Ohashis perfect 10 floor routine while she was at UCLA. Seeing the environment, how much fun she was having, and how the sport wasn’t so individual yet it was fully team based peaked my interest the most.

14. Least favorite event and favorite event? And Why?

Floor is my least, because it just hurts haha. I love performing floor, and dancing and showing off but the tumbling is a no go. I love bars, because I was going through an overuse injury, and during that time all I did was bars. I started to understand how the bars worked, and how to make the bar work for you, and I learned so many new skills. Learning all of the releases was the best part, and I just have such a fun time swinging around.

15. Hardest and easiest gymnastics skill to train?

The hardest skill is probably bar technique, such ass handstands, shaping and etc. so much goes into bars that we don’t even think about. the easiest would be beam. I think anyone can do beam because it is mainly a mind game.

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

Trusting my body and my training, and tons of drills.

17. How did you stay out of your head at practice and at meet?

Breathing, and reminding myself of why I do this sport, and how many times I have done this routine or skill that one more time won’t change anything.

18. Have any of you got a skill for a few weeks on any event and then a week or to later you just can't do it? If this has happened to you how have you dealt with it or overcome it?

Vaulting, but I think it’s because my body would get drained and I wouldn’t be as powerful.

19. How did you cope when your time as a gymnast was over? Did you go into coaching or did you find something else to fill what gymnastics filled?

I am not done with gymnastics!

20. What two goals you want to achieve in the sport of gymnastics?

I want to make a difference for my team in college, or help them with my gymnastics to accomplish a goal, and the second to truly love the sport I do , and not do it such as it is like a chore, but I want to.

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

It takes time, every small accomplishment counts, and have fun.