In Her Own Words: Tiara Wright

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been flipping around and flying through the air.

At only three-years-old, I was so full of energy that my mom put me in my first ever gymnastics class. She knew I would love it.

Well, she was right.

I immediately fell in love with the sport. I woke up every single day wanting to put on a leotard and go to the gym. 

When I was seven years old, I started competing - that’s when it got serious. From then on, I turned down birthday parties, play dates with friends and vacations because I had gymnastics.

At times it was hard, but it was always my decision, and I knew this was what I wanted to do. God had given me an amazing talent, and I wanted to utilize it. I knew that I wanted to be the best gymnast that I could possibly be, and that meant that I would have to sacrifice some things. 

When I was 14, I switched to a gym in Pennsylvania that was 90 minutes from my house in Delaware. I remember staying with teammates during the week here and there to make it easier on my family. I took classes online my entire high school career and practiced more than 35 hours per week on a regular basis. 

I still hung out with friends, went to school dances, and did everything in my power to be a normal teenager. Even so, my mind was always in the gym. 

I was so determined to fulfill my own expectations, as well as repay my family for all that they had done for me, by earning a college scholarship. All of the hours spent in the gym, the limited social life, the blood, the sweat, the tears … I knew that it would all be worth it in the end if I just kept pushing and giving it my all. 

During my sophomore year of high school, my hard work had paid off. I was offered a full scholarship to a Division I school! I knew that I had made my family proud, and I was also very proud of myself. I was ready to finish out my last two years of club gymnastics with a bang and start the next chapter of my life as a collegiate gymnast. This was everything that I had ever wanted, and I was ecstatic!

Transitioning into college was definitely an adjustment. I have always been close with my family, so it was hard being over four hours away from them, especially my little sister who is my whole world. 

Accepting the things that I couldn't change taught me that I could handle anything. Being a collegiate athlete was exactly what I had dreamt of, plus more. The sparkly leotards, bright lights, cameras, and the fans sent me over the moon. 

The adrenaline rush that I would get on competition days was electrifying. The feeling that went through my entire body from the second I stepped into an arena, until the minute I finished my last routine, was unexplainable. I loved looking up in the stands and seeing my family right there cheering me on every single weekend. I was feeling extremely grateful for all of the blessings that had come my way.

My entire world, the lights, the adrenaline, the rush of competing suddenly came to a pause my junior year. I injured my shoulder during a practice and the injury required surgery. It wasn’t an easy road to recovery.

Being restricted from doing the sport that I loved for a total of seven months took a toll on me. 

Gymnastics requires hours of rigorous practice and conditioning every day to maintain the skills and endurance required to compete at a high level. Not practicing for such a long period of time makes it difficult to return to a high skill level.

Defying gravity is an out-of-body experience that for me, compares to no other. Being in front of a crowd and putting on the performance of a lifetime is an indescribable feeling. 

Not being able to feel those same emotions that gave me such a high was absolutely devastating, especially knowing that the upcoming season was bound to be my best one yet.

Gymnastics was my outlet and my happy place, and that had been taken away from me. I knew that I wanted to continue with the sport, but the fire inside of me that had been burning since I was a little girl, was starting to burn out. 

Gymnastics was obviously such a huge part of my life and so important to me, but my happiness and peace of mind were so much more important. After talking with my family and a lot of prayer, I decided that for me to be able to continue doing the sport that I loved while being happy, I needed to step out in faith and continue my journey closer to the people I love.

This brought me to the University of Maryland, and the team that I now call my family. From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I felt that fire inside me start to burn again. 

In my two seasons competing as a Terrapin, there was this undeniable sense of Maryland Pride I felt competing for my team and my school. The support of this team, the coaches and the community, gave me the confidence and drive that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and be Tiara again. The reassurance of my team allowed me to believe in myself and my abilities not only in gymnastics but in all aspects of my life.

My team looked up to me as a leader, they needed me and I needed them more. 

Together, we reached regionals in 2019 and opened up the 2020 season ranked No. 8 in the nation. My gymnastics career had finally peaked, we were on top of our game, we were bonded as a family, we were resilient. 

The day came to travel back to the school where my collegiate career began. I was more determined than ever to finish out the regular season the way that it started. 

I was ready to compete with the team that pushed me beyond my own limitations. That is, up until we received a text from our head coach that he wanted to meet with us. 

The season was over. The news was so sudden, it felt unreal.

That was the last time I would ever pack my leo for a competition. 

That was the last time I would stand in front of the XFINITY Center ready to travel to a meet. 

That was it. That was the last time. Ever.

I am grateful for everything the sport of gymnastics and the University of Maryland gave to me. Having had time to reflect on this season, my college career, and my life as a gymnast, I walk away with a sense of accomplishment.

When I was recovering from my surgery and made the decision to transfer to Maryland, I told myself that I would never take anything for granted again. And I didn’t. 

From then forward, every meet I competed in, I treated it as my last. Every single time that I stepped out onto that competition floor, I performed that routine to the best of my ability. I gave each performance everything in me, because I knew from first-hand experience how quickly that something you love could be snatched away from you at any given moment. 

That being said, I never had the chance to feel the raw emotion of my final salute to the judges, the final wave to my family in the crowd, the final bear hug from my coach, or the final moments I would spend with “Maryland” written across my chest.

Closure is something that I may never get, but fulfillment is something I will always have. 

I will forever look back on my career as a gymnast with gratitude for everything the sport has taught me and for everything I taught myself along the way. Without this sport, this opportunity, and this school, I would not be able to walk away from this chapter of my life feeling fulfilled. 

I am ready for my next step, not as Tiara the gymnast, but as Tiara Wright.

I want to continue to inspire young women to work hard, believe in themselves and never give up in the face of adversity.

I dedicated my final season to that little girl who fell in love with gymnastics at the age of three. She would be extremely proud of not only the gymnast that I became but also the person that I am today. 

Thank you, gymnastics.

Thank you, Maryland. 

And thank you to the little girl who had that fire burning so brightly inside of her that it never burnt out.

Forever a Terp,

Tiara Wright