Comfortable With Herself

Sarah Faller made a brave decision in her life that she continues to advocate for after her four-year career as a distinguished Maryland Gymnastics student-athlete.

Faller graduated from Maryland in 2017 and began traveling around the U.S. alone in her van. She saw some of the most beautiful places the country had to offer, but most importantly, she learned a lot about herself. The former gymnast later decided to abstain from alcohol consumption. April is alcohol awareness month, and Faller is celebrating completing an alcohol-free year.

Growing up in Raleigh, N.C., Faller started gymnastics when she was three. She loved the adrenaline rush it gave her, and her skills continued to improve as she grew older.

She later attended a camp at the University of Georgia in 2006. Faller met Terps head coach Brett Nelligan, and he gifted her a poster that remained hung up on the wall in the closet of her room for the next decade.

“Nelligan was just an amazing coach and an amazing guy,” Faller said. “He helped me with some uneven bar skills at the time. I could tell he really had a passion for the sport and I really appreciated his coaching style. I thought to myself, ‘I'd love to have him as a coach someday.’”

The interaction foreshadowed what was to come. She accepted a scholarship to the University of Maryland to compete for Nelligan and the Terps. Faller went on to have a successful career for the Terps from 2013-17. She competed in every meet on the uneven bars, balance beam and vault. Faller was also named a captain during her junior and senior seasons.

One of Faller’s most memorable experiences was everything coming full circle.

“One of the coolest experiences I think was being a little girl, going to meets and always looking up to the college athletes,” she said. “Being a college athlete later in life and then having little girls come up and wanting my autograph was just the coolest thing ever.”

But entering college was an adjustment for her. She went from a small, tight-knit friend group in high school to a much larger community of student-athletes. She often partook in the college experience.

“Our team had something called dry season,” Faller explained. “From Christmas day until the season is over, our team doesn’t drink. …We all took it very seriously, but after the season there was a lot of binge drinking until the beginning of the summer.”

Faller never battled an addiction to alcohol, but she says addiction is something a few of her family members have battled. She found that at all the parties she attended, drinking was the main activity. 

The gymnast began to analyze her relationship with the drug when she became a senior. Faller realized she didn’t need alcohol to feel connected. She graduated and maintained a similar stance. But the former gymnast struggled to find herself after gymnastics.

“I was kind of like, ‘Who is Sarah as a person, not as a gymnast?’” she said. “I went through an identity crisis after college because you have this sport involved with your life for 18 years and then all of a sudden, it's done.”

After traveling around the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Faller moved to Canada in 2021. She was in an unfamiliar place, but she made new friends to help her adjust.

One of the friends she made was Chloe Popove. The pair met through mutual friends and hit it off instantly despite living an hour away. They often hung out together in groups where they partook in fun events that didn’t center around drinking alcohol.

Popove was with two of her friends one night in December 2022 when they started talking about New Year's resolutions and reevaluating important aspects of their lives. The topic of alcohol entered the conversation.

“We were like, maybe we should do three months sober at the beginning of the year and see what that feels like," Popove said. "Then one friend suggested, ‘Well, what if we did a year?’”

They all immediately thought it would be difficult. But Popove says that made them want to do it more. The friends created a group chat and started sharing podcasts and resources that would be helpful during the journey. They sent voice messages and described any challenges one may be facing.  

Popove thought Faller would be a great addition to the group chat, given their growing friendship. Immediately, Faller was interested in joining the friends in sobriety.

“It was kind of scary at first,” Faller said. “But I think I was lucky enough to be surrounded by very supportive friends.”

Popove says having the right people around her to support her and one another was integral.

“Knowing that other people were feeling the same thing and able to share their feelings was important,” she explained. “You also didn't want to disappoint your friends. We held each other accountable, and it was so important to have that and know other people were going through the same experience.”

All four friends have remained sober since they started, surpassing their goal of one year. The challenge brought Faller and her friends closer, and it has positively impacted many aspects of their lives.

“I don't think any of us realized what was actually going to come of it,” Popove said. “It shifted our entire perspective on friendship, social gatherings, how we developed relationships, decision making, and having access to your body and mind. It was so much more than I think any of us could have anticipated.”

Popove moved from Kelowna to Penticton, Canada, and now lives two minutes away from Faller. They see each other all the time. They live in the Okanagan wine region and find many activities to partake in together that aren’t centered around consuming alcohol.

Even when they’re craving the taste of an ice-cold beer, they have an answer. Another one of their friends, Leigh Matkovich, co-founded Nonny Beer. The company produces non-alcoholic craft beer, and its products can be found in each friend’s refrigerator.

Faller currently works as a graphic designer at tentree, an Earth-friendly lifestyle apparel brand. She’s passionate about cooking and loves being creative. She hopes her journey can show people that it's possible to live a fun and prosperous life without alcohol and individuals have the power to make decisions that differ from the majority.

“I think it takes being comfortable with yourself and just being silly, fun and weird even without alcohol,” Faller said. “I think it's about having those good people around you. It's interesting how it sort of trickles into other parts of your life.”