Interview with Kentucky Gymnast Raena Worley

1. What age did you start gymnastics?

When I was 4

2. How did you start in gymnastics?

My parents got me a gymnastics class as a birthday present and I fell in love with it.

3. How did you deal with mental blocks?

I personally have not had to work through any mental blocks, but with more difficult skills I tend to rely on my training and trust that my coaches wouldn't have me do something they didn't think I could do.

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

My favorite gymnast growing up was Shawn Johnson, I felt that I related to her on numerous different levels.

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

Believing that I belonged in the areas/ competitions that I was competing in, basically I had to learn a lot about confidence and believing in myself.

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

I remember all of the routines that I have done in training leading up to competition and I try to have fun during the routines so that I can enjoy the moment and not think about the pressure that might be there.

7. What was your biggest accomplishment in gymnastics?

My biggest accomplishment was placing 2ns at the NCAA Championships for the floor.

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

Staying involved with gymnastics is something that I would love to do, it has given me so much joy in my life and I would love to be a part of it still or pass that on to others.

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

It is a challenging sport, but you have to allow yourself time to learn and enjoy the challenges that it brings you'll never experience anything like it again.

10. What is your favorite meet?

My favorite competitions were excite nights because of the amazing BBN and the energy that the home crowd brought to the arena.

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

My coaches/peers never put any kind of pressure on me as an athlete, if anything they helped me not put pressure on myself and they put their trust in me which gave me confidence rather than pressure. Pressure from fans came more as a challenge to how much fun I can engage them during my routines.

12. How do you overcome setbacks and challenges?

These are both natural with the sport. I overcame these by taking a step back and changing my perspective/ trying to see the issue from a different view to work through.

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

I actually did not know much about collegiate gymnastics until going into my freshman year of high school. My dream had always been to the elite/ olympic route, but once I discovered college gym that became my new dream.

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

My favorite event is floor because I get to show my personality and really just have so much fun. I don't think I have a least favorite event, I enjoy them all for different reasons :)

15. Hardest and easiest gymnastics skill to train?

Hardest skill was probably a tkachev (I hope I spelled that right) on bars. Easiest is a full-in on floor.

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

When getting in my head during a skill, I often look back on a quote that Arianna Patterson told me freshman year "Nothing to it but to do it" if I avoid the skill and don't hunker down and do it, the nerves get worse. The best thing you can do is to trust yourself and your training and get it done.

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

I try to enjoy the moment and experience that I am having with my team. During practice we all have such a great time, the team and atmosphere are absolutely fantastic to be around. At competitions that same energy still exists, just with more amplitude and adrenaline so naturally I never got in my head because I was too busy having a good time.

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?

I have not experienced this.

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 still processing that my time with gymnastics is over, it is not a fun reality to face. I am trying to find other activities that are similar to gymnastics and see if I can get the same enjoyment out of them.

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

Take in every second that you can, the time you have absolutely flies by. Try not to be too hard on yourself, you're a human and an athlete, not a robot. Build relationships with your teammates, these will last a lifetime and always communicate with your coaches; it will do wonders during your career.