Friday, March 29, 2024

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsBruinwalkClassifieds

UCLA gymnast Norah Flatley prioritizes mental health at NCAA Raleigh Regional

Senior Norah Flatley poses on beam. Flatley competed in the all-around in eight meets for No. 14 UCLA gymnastics this season, but the senior competed on just vault and bars Saturday as the Bruins’ season came to an end. (Jeremy Chen/Daily Bruin staff)

By Sam Settleman

April 6, 2022 2:18 p.m.

This post was updated April 6 at 10:20 p.m.

Norah Flatley has grown accustomed to the all-around.

Saturday was supposed to be no different.

“I’m someone who will put the entire team on my back,” the senior said.

At the NCAA Raleigh Regional final Saturday, Flatley was expected to compete on all four events for No. 14 UCLA gymnastics as she has done virtually all season. However, the senior wound up only competing on vault and bars, and the Bruins finished 0.025 points short of an NCAA championships berth.

Flatley said the decision to not compete on floor and beam wasn’t one she made lightly.

“It was a personal choice on my behalf for my mental and physical well-being,” Flatley said. “I’ve been pushing through a lot of personal struggles, and it’s made training and competing really hard. And today (Saturday) was just one of those days where, mentally, I was not OK.”

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles pulled herself out of the women’s team finals for a similar reason, citing the “twisties” – a state in which a gymnast loses the ability to control their body while performing a skill. At the beginning of the meet, Biles’ vault went awry, prompting the four-time Olympic gold medalist to withdraw from the remainder of the competition.

While Biles received widespread backlash for her decision, she also earned praise for the potential impact of her decision on how athletes can prioritize mental health during competition – just as Flatley did Saturday.

Flatley said while she is used to safeguarding her teammates, she hadn’t been holding herself to the same standards.

“I preach a lot to my teammates. I always tell them to do what’s best for themselves and keep themselves safe – and that’s something that I’ve been neglecting for myself,” Flatley said. “I’ve been putting everybody before me, and today (Saturday) was just one of those days where I needed to prioritize my mental health. It was really hard to do, but I have trust in everybody on this team that everyone can perform what they need to do for the team.”

Throughout her first three seasons with the Bruins, Flatley had competed in the all-around once. But in 2022, the senior became a staple on all four events for UCLA, competing in the all-around eight times. Prior to the final meet of the season Saturday, Flatley had amassed the most points for the Bruins this year.

Coach Chris Waller said regardless of how many events she competed on Saturday, no one has been more valuable to the blue and gold than Flatley.

“Norah clearly is the MVP of the team,” Waller said. “She’s competed the most this year, put up the most points. She’s been a rock through all of our competitions. She’s been an incredible example of how to go out there and do your best week after week.”

Flatley missed most of her junior season in 2021 because of an ankle injury sustained prior to the first meet of the year. She ultimately returned in the postseason but competed only five routines on the year – 38 less than she would total in 2022.

After a season in which UCLA has gone from posting its worst score in seven years to beating the defending national champions in the postseason, Flatley said she takes pride in her leadership this year.

“I led the team to the best of my abilities physically (and) emotionally, and I’m proud of the girls who were so dedicated the entire season and also led the team in their own ways, even when things got really hard,” Flatley said.

While UCLA’s 2022 season may have come to a close, Flatley isn’t quite done yet. Her performance on all four events in the second round of the NCAA Raleigh Regional earned her an individual spot in the all-around at the NCAA championships, where she will compete alongside freshman Jordan Chiles, who qualified on bars and floor.

Chiles said the pair won’t just be representing themselves when they head to Fort Worth, Texas, on April 14.

“Me and Norah will be there for the team, and we’re going to do everything we can just to make sure that we have the team with us,” Chiles said.

In what could be her final time ever competing in gymnastics, Flatley said she simply wants to do her best for the Bruins.

“I am dedicating my all-around run at nationals to my team,” Flatley said. “I just want to go out there and enjoy every moment and just have love for myself, the girls around me and, of course, my team back home.”

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Sam Settleman | Sports editor
Settleman was the 2022-2023 Sports editor on the football, men's basketball and gymnastics beats. He was previously an assistant editor on the gymnastics, women's soccer, women's golf, men's water polo and women's water polo beats and a contributor on the gymnastics and women's water polo beats.
Settleman was the 2022-2023 Sports editor on the football, men's basketball and gymnastics beats. He was previously an assistant editor on the gymnastics, women's soccer, women's golf, men's water polo and women's water polo beats and a contributor on the gymnastics and women's water polo beats.
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
More classifieds »
Related Posts