There’s nothing that can truly prepare someone for a devastating injury. And when you’re a competitive athlete? An unexpected accident can change the course of your entire career. For Samantha Cerio, an Auburn University gymnast, her Friday floor routine at the NCAA gymnastics regionals in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, went anything but planned.
The senior went for her first tumbling pass, attempting a handspring double front according to ESPN, landed awkwardly, and fell to the ground clutching both legs in pain. She was carried off the mat on a stretcher, and it was later revealed that she broke both of her legs and dislocated both knees.
You can watch the footage below. WARNING: it is pretty gruesome.
On Sunday, Cerio gave us all the feels when she took to Instagram saying that Friday was her final night as a gymnast.
And despite the horrific ending to her career, she’s proud of how far she’s come and so, so thankful for the support she’s received from friends, family, and fans far and wide.
Talk about having some grace, right? Must’ve been super difficult, to end her college career like this. The good news? The aerospace engineering major recently told the school newspaper that she’s looking forward to life after gymnastics come graduation in May, and that she already has a job as a structural design analysis engineer with Boeing in Seattle.
“[My parents] reminded me that gymnastics will end eventually, and you need to have something to fall back on, something that you can be passionate about just as equally.”
Sending all of the healing vibes your way, Sam! You get a 10.0 from us.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health US
Source: Read Full Article