Interview With Neela Nicholson

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

I was 3. My mom was a gymnast, so I was always watching it on tv. I just thought it was so cool and I wanted to be able to do that.

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

My meet is probably Gasprilla when it was at the Tropicana Field. My favorite event is beam and my least favorite is vault. The hardest skill I ever trained was a double lay full out off bars. The easiest is probably a front toss on beam.

3.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?

For a few years I dealt with a fidgeting issue. It happened before every tumbling pass, vault, passes on beam, & it was so bad once I even did it before jumping to the pit bar. I saw a sports psychologist for a while and it really helped. Now whenever I get nerves I just think to myself “I’m excited to do this and grateful I have the opportunity to do this”.

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

I knew I wanted to do college gymnastics since I was around 10 years old. Going to Nationals and committing to a D1 program is probably my biggest accomplishments.

5.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 going to be a freshman at the University of Illinois.

6.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 Gabby Douglas growing up. Some advice I would give is that everyone’s journey is different so enjoy where you are and have fun!

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

1. I want to score a 10. 2. I would love to compete my double arabian on floor.