UCLA Gymnast’s Routine Earned Perfect Ten And Now Viewers Cannot Stop Watching Performance On Repeat

Feb 10, 2021 by apost team

Are you a fan of professional gymnastics? Then you likely have heard the name Katelyn Ohashi. Back in 2019, the then 21-year-old UCLA gymnast scored a perfect 10 for a floor routine at the Collegiate Challenge meet in Anaheim, California. Not only did Ohashi's score help UCLA win the meet, but her stellar routine also spread like wildfire across the internet.

For four years, Ohashi was part of the junior national team for USA Gymnastics. In 2013, Ohashi even beat out Simone Biles in the championship for the American Cup, as People reports.

As Biles went on to be a four-time Olympic winner, Ohashi eventually walked away from her Junior Olympic gymnastic career. While the accolades were incredible, the experience itself was damaging.

Ohashi walked away from her Olympic aspirations because she felt "broken," as she said in an interview with People. She wasn't the same girl that she was when she fell in love with gymnastics for the first time.

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Now that she was a seasoned gymnast, Ohashi felt stressed and anxious all the time. She hardly smiled and rarely enjoyed eating, as she always pushed herself to excessively exercise.

Even worse was the fact that Ohashi had to compete with two torn shoulders and a fractured back, as CNN reports.

Ohashi was the exact definition of a "broken" person, both physically and emotionally — she had to get away.

Walking away from gymnastics was probably the hardest thing Ohashi had to do — but it was exactly what she needed to do if she ever hoped to heal.

While Ohashi planned to recover, she also hoped to compete when she got to college.

At the time of the video, she was enrolled at UCLA, and at that time, Ohashi's routines were as powerful as they once were. In fact, one routine, in particular, went viral and is making its rounds on the Internet.

Performing to a medley of music, including Michael Jackson's hits, Ohashi packed her routine full of crazy challenging moves that really showcase her insane talent and physical capabilities.

But whereas some might have expected Ohashi to continue with gymnastics, especially given her obvious talent in the sport, Ohashi announced her retirement following her graduation from college, according to her website's bio. Regardless of what she does in the future, however, we know that if Ohashi brings the same sort of determination and drive as she did when she was a gymnast, then there's no doubt she'll excel.

In mid-2019, The Mercury News reported that the former gymnast has used her new platform online to speak out on topics like body image on television and in interviews.

“This ending,” Ohashi said of gymnastics, “has been more than I ever could have asked for.”

Since Ohashi’s 2019 interview with The Mercury News, she’s kept fans abreast of her life updates on social media. On Instagram, the former gymnast has more than 800 posts and 1 million followers. While many of her posts are political, Ohashi’s Instagram feed also reveals that the now 23-year-old UCLA graduate is working as a model and actress for commercials — from hair products to tech gadgets

Ohashi seems to be exploring her more creative side, too, with an active photography account @kalliope_kate and a series of blog posts. On June 24, 2019, the former gymnast wrote a blog post on body image for Behind The Madness entitled “The Ugly Truth.”

“I’ve been typing this post for awhile trying to find all the right words … Chasing intangible materials of the world instead of chasing and serving our true purpose in life,” Ohashi writes as part of her piece’s conclusion. “We think that if we can drive the nicest cars, live in the biggest homes, wear the most expensive clothes, and buy a new face and body we’ll somehow become more wealthy inside. But like Billie Eilish asks, what will it all be for if you’re the last one standing and none of it was to truly feed your own soul?”

In BBC article from May 2019, Ohashi explained how issues of body image and competitive sport go hand-in-hand. 

"As gymnasts, our bodies are constantly being seen in these minimal clothing leotards. I felt so uncomfortable looking in the mirror," Ohashi said.

This intense pressure is likely one of many factors that led to Ohashi leaving the sport in 2019.

Furthermore, burnout, like the one Ohashi experienced early in her gymnastics career, can especially be an issue for young athletes. According to Human Kinetics’s article on “Burnout in Youth Sport," for example, the company notes that the majority of young athletes experience low to moderate levels of burnout, with 1 to 2 percent of youth athletes experiencing severe burnout.

In a case study published in the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, a group of researchers explained that, “While striving to be the best in sport may fuel the dreams of many young athletes, the competitive pressures to succeed can be overwhelming ... In addition to the training demands associated with elite sport, such as traveling, physical requirements, and injuries, adolescent athletes are required to balance academics with sports while trying to establish a sense of social belonging as well as a self-concept.”

With that said, it seems that Ohashi has found her way, despite leaving her athletics career in the past. And for fans of gymnastics who are craving the sort of explosive enthusiasm that Ohashi brought to her routines, the 23-year-old former gymnast may have a successor at her alma mater — Nia Dennis, a 21-year-old senior at UCLA.

In January 2021, Dennis landed a near-perfect floor routine when she competed at the recent season opener between UCLA and Arizona State. In the video, Dennis struts onto the floor like she already knows just how iconic her performance will be and then the music starts. Dennis throws in a few dance moves before she truly gets into her routine, adding a fun element for both herself and viewers. Then comes the tumbling, which deservedly receives big cheers from the crowd. The mix of acrobatic and dance elements makes her routine a joy to watch, as it shows off Dennis' personality and athletic abilities. And her work paid off — she scored a near-perfect 9.950 and clinched the win for the Bruins.

Since Dennis’ performance first hit YouTube, it’s received high praise from high places, with shout-outs from Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington and Missy Elliot, whose music is featured in the routine.

So while Ohashi seems to have found her path — a path that doesn’t include gymnastics — we can rest assured that greats like Dennis will come along to continue the former athlete’s legacy.

Let us know what you think about the performance and Ohashi's journey by leaving a comment below. And don't forget to pass this video along to your friends to show them this powerful performance.