Interview With Illinois Skylar Ray Dixon

How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport?

I started gymnastics when I was three years old, so it has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the sport, and what began as something fun eventually became a huge part of who I am. I was drawn to how different gymnastics was from anything else. It challenged me to do things that once seemed impossible, and I loved learning new skills and discovering what I was capable of. Looking back, gymnastics didn’t just become a sport I participated in and it became part of my identity and helped shape who I am today.

What was your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained?

One of my favorite things about competing is that every meet feels different. Some stand out because of how I performed, while others are memorable because of the people I shared them with and everything it took to get there. My favorite event is bars because I love the feeling of swinging and flying. Beam is my least favorite because it challenges me in a different way. Gymnastics has taught me that skills that look easy from the outside can take years of repetition to master. Sometimes, the skills that scare you most end up teaching you the most about yourself. The easiest skill I’ve trained is a double layout off bars.

Gymnastics is incredibly mental. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? How did you deal with nerves, pressure, and getting in your head or temporarily "losing" a skill?

One of my hardest struggles has been managing the days when my body and mind don’t feel like they’re working together. When you’ve done gymnastics since you were three, it’s easy to feel like you should always be able to do the skills you’ve spent years learning. But pain, exhaustion, or fear of getting hurt can make skills that once felt natural much harder. I’ve sometimes felt frustrated with myself because I knew I was capable of a skill, even when my body wasn’t ready to do it that day. I’ve had to learn that struggling with a skill doesn’t mean I’ve lost my ability or stopped being a good gymnast. Sometimes, the hardest part is being patient with yourself. I’ve learned to take things one day at a time and remember that progress isn’t always a straight line. Gymnastics has taught me that mental strength doesn’t mean never feeling scared or frustrated. It means working through those feelings without letting them define you.

What was your biggest accomplishment in the sport, and did you ever want to do college gymnastics?

My biggest accomplishment is earning a full scholarship to compete in gymnastics at the University of Illinois. It means more to me than competing at the Division I level. I started gymnastics when I was three, so this milestone represents years of growing up in the sport, making sacrifices, and working toward a dream that once felt far away. My journey involved more than training in the gym. I also had to balance school, recruiting, and the other responsibilities that came with pursuing this goal. What makes earning the scholarship so special is knowing how much time and effort went into reaching this point. It wasn’t the end of my journey; it was the beginning of a new chapter where I can keep growing as both an athlete and a person.

How did you cope when your time as a gymnast ended, and did you transition into coaching or are you currently still competing?

My time as a gymnast hasn’t ended. I am going to be a sophomore this year competing in college. I’m learning that being a gymnast is about more than the minutes I spend on the competition floor. It’s also the discipline, resilience, and trust I’ve built through years of training. I’m still figuring out what comes after gymnastics, but I know I want to carry those lessons with me wherever I go.

Who was your gymnastics role model, and what advice would you give to someone starting the sport for the first time?

My role models have been the people who keep showing up, especially when progress is slow: teammates who encourage each other, coaches who see potential before an athlete sees it in herself, and gymnasts who keep going after a hard fall or a frustrating practice. My advice to a beginner is to let yourself enjoy being new. It flys by faster than you think, so you don’t have to be fearless or perfect to belong in the sport.

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

First, I want to keep becoming a dependable and confident competitor while being someone my team can count on and someone who can trust the work she has put in. Second, I want my journey to help another gymnast see that a big dream can become real one practice at a time. If someone sees my story and decides not to give up on hers, that would mean a lot to me.