Interview With Alabama gymnast Chloe LaCoursiere

1. What age did you start gymnastics?

I started when I was 3 years old

2. How did you start in gymnastics?

I went on a field trip and the coaches called my parents asking me to come back :)

3. How did you deal with mental blocks?

Ohhh I have had so many of those. Last year I couldn’t do bars at all. What I have learned is that it is ok to take steps backwards. Build up your confidence again! I think of it like a sling shot. Takes step backwards so you can fly forward!

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

Once I took my official visit to bama my role model became Luisa Blanco. She competes with such grace and I got so lucky to be on the team with her. Now she is like my older sister

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

I think balancing being in a sport of perfection, and realizing that I don’t need to be perfect. I was and still am very hard on myself when I mess up, but I would be so upset I would forget how much I loved the sport. So now when I get so wound up in the gym I go back to enjoying this sport, cause it is special

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

This is something I have learned recently, and it’s been so cool to see that on my team everyone does it differently. I talk to my coach before each event and find a way to make it fun. I tell them my cues and think of the moment as just an opportunity. Fun story, on beam I talk to my coach and I pretend to be an animal and it takes me away from the meet space

7. What was your biggest accomplishment in gymnastics?

Ohhh goodness, there are so many accomplishments to be proud of and I hope more to come. I am proud of my 2nd place at SEC bars, my DP National win, but I am really proud of how I learned to compete beam and led off every meet last year for my team! That’s an important role and I did my job for the team.

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

I have two more years!! But after that I want to go to med school. Not sure exactly what I’m going into yet but I want to make a difference for athletes and kids. So I guess I’ll kinda stay involved in the gymnastics world. But before that I want to travel for a few months.

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

My biggest advice is always find ways to fall in love with it. There is a lot of hard days in this sport but if you have reasons to love it those days are so much easier.