Interview With Lacie Saltzmann

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

I started gymnastics when I was two years old. I had a lot of energy when I was younger, so my mom put me in a bunch of different sports, one of which was gymnastics. I quickly fell in love with the thrill of learning new skills, the daily challenges coupled with the gratification of overcoming adversity, and the endless joy embedded in the sport.

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

I have two favorite meets from my first season as a Golden Gopher: (1) Regionals Day 2 and (2) Day 1 of NCAA Championships. At our team retreat in September of last year, we set our minds on making it to NCAAs. We adopted our motto, "Anchored Down," and held a steadfast belief that we were the team to beat. Every anchor proudly placed on our wall (signifying a hit routine), adversity we collectively overcame, and daily embodiment of our values helped us embrace what it means to be the team that everyone is chasing. Going into day two of regionals in Corvallis, Oregon, I don't think we saw the outcome going any other way than us advancing to Fort Worth. Making that moment our reality was so special and such a testament to our grit, tenacity, and persistence throughout the season. To go onto NCAAs and make history as the first team to make it to the Final Four truly made my freshman year a dream come true. And, on top of that, to become a 1st Team NCAA All-American while helping my team accomplish that tremendous feat is a moment I'll forever cherish. The bar routine that earned me first team honors encapsulated not only the relentless pursuit of excellence, but also what it meant to learn from the inevitable setbacks present in any sport. All that to say, my freshman season was not easy, but it was by far the most memorable, impactful, and gratifying time as a gymnast, and I can't wait to continue making history as a Gopher. As you might have guessed, my favorite events are bars and floor. I love performing on floor and bars is without a doubt my happy place. Mentally, the hardest skill I've ever trained is a back handspring back handspring on beam. Physically, it's a double layout, full-in, or double arabian on floor or a Downie on bars (piked tkatchev from a stalder). The easiest skill, and one of my favorites, I've trained is a front aerial on beam.

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?

I certainly had my share of mental struggles in the sport. I was a U.S. elite for three years ('22 - '24) and experienced my first major mental block when preparing to qualifying for elite compulsory. About two months before our first elite compulsory qualifier, which for most people is more of a formality, I wouldn't go backwards on beam. Although most of the elite beam compulsory routine involves backwards skills, I had a forward series (front handspring front tuck) in my elite optional routine and did a valdez to fulfill my backwards requirement. That was one of the first times I had ever felt myself losing my love for the sport. I went into the gym frustrated that I couldn't do skills I had for as long as I could remember and was disappointed that something so trivial could hinder my ability to fulfill the dream I had when I was a little girl. Yet, it was in those moments that I learned that it's okay to take a step to the side and that being able to see a skill happening in your head and retraining your brain matters just as much as physically doing it. Going up and ultimately earning my elite compulsory score later that year was one of the most gratifying moments in my gymnastics career because it proved to myself that I was more than my fears and doubts. I also learned a lot my freshman year of college about how to handle the pressure of shifting to a different environment and adapting to new expectations. The biggest thing that I learned was to give myself grace and find joy in the little moments. The failures along the way are inevitable, but being able to find the good in each turn and walk away recognizing the positives is what makes the journey so rewarding.

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

I've wanted to do college gymnastics for as long as I can remember, so joining this Gopher family really is a dream come true. My biggest accomplishment is being a 1st Team NCAA All-American. Stepping up to that bar routine knowing what was on the line, I felt calmest and most confident I had ever been before a competition routine. I remember visualizing that moment repeatedly--sticking my dismount and knowing that I had hit the routine I had done hundreds of times in the gym. When I hit my first handstand, I knew that was going to be the routine I had walked through in my head just a few seconds earlier. Yet, my favorite part of that moment was celebrating with my coaches and team after knowing the pivotal role they played. The daily pep-talks, endless encouragement, and unwavering belief made my dreams a reality, and I'm so grateful for the young women who inspire me daily and encompass a huge part of my why. If you told the girl that stepped on campus for the first time as a camper the summer after my sophomore year in 2024 that she'd be a part of the first team in history to make it to the Final Four and place fourth on bars at NCAAs in just her freshman year, I'm not sure she would have believed it. Committing to Minnesota and joining this incredible team a year early epitomized the aphorism, "everything happens for a reason," and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to represent the maroon and gold every day.

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

I'm still competing and can't wait to see what's in store for my next four years as a Gopher.

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

My gymnastics role model was Aly Raisman. The biggest piece of advice I would give to someone starting the sport for the first time is to have fun. Enjoy every single moment because it goes by so quickly. Learn to give yourself grace and embrace the hard days because it makes the great ones that much sweeter. So, be patient, be resilient, and be willing to try again. And, of course, don’t be afraid to dream big. Be inspired by others’ accomplishments and use it to fuel your drive and commitment to excellence. Build on each small step and celebrate every victory, even the smallest wins, knowing that each turn is one closer to the one you've envisioned. To sum all this up, I would say dream big, smile bigger, and enjoy every single moment because it truly does go by so fast.

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

Two goals that I want to achieve are competing all-around and winning a B1G 10 title. Most of all, however, I want to enjoy every single moment of my college career and continue to find joy in the little moments.