“I wasn’t going to do a fifth year,” graduate student Cammy Hall said. “I think mentally I was just ready to end it.”
Hall’s journey in gymnastics began in a small Virginia town at the age of 3. In a few short years, her natural talent and determination made it clear that she had enough potential to reach collegiate heights. She began training intensely in middle school and eventually landed a spot on the University of Maryland gymnastics roster.
Considering herself a ‘mediocre gymnast,’ she was perfectly content competing on a team with a quiet presence in the NCAA. However, her path took a quick turn when Utah head coach Tom Farden attended one of her practices and immediately offered her a spot on his team.
The road from Maryland to Utah was tough. Jumping from a No. 30 ranked school to a top-five contender in the country seemed impossible. The Utes boasted a roster of prior Olympic qualifiers and U.S. national team members. Naturally, the Virginia native feared that she would hold the Utes back.
“I pushed myself outside of the gym to start making progress,” Hall admitted. “Then in December, right before my first season, I tore my Achilles…I think it taught me a lot.”
Hall, who’s not an easily discouraged person, quickly started the rehabilitation period for her injury. After four months on crutches, Hall was ready to make a name for herself in collegiate gymnastics. She started every meet on vault in her sophomore season, recording a 9.95 career-high before the season came to an abrupt halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was so excited, doing better, and was more prepared for the season than ever,” Hall told LSUSports. “I was so crushed, hopeless and really thought this could be the end. I’m naturally happy all the time, so it was really hard because my true self was so sad. Everything was falling apart when it was supposed to be coming together.”
After obstacle after obstacle, her love for the sport gradually began to fade throughout her collegiate career. She commented that her junior and senior years progressed rather awkwardly. After failing to stick her landing on vault at last year’s NCAA Championship, Hall decided to pack her bags and move back home after graduation.
“I realized it didn’t define me. Gymnastics isn’t forever,” Hall said to LSUSports. “And I was coming to terms with the fact that I could start working and doing other things with my life.”
She began coaching a club team of young girls over the summer. Their excitement and ambition reminded her of how she once felt about gymnastics at their age. The girls constantly pried her about returning to the collegiate level, to which she replied, “It’s much more complicated than that.”
When they recommended that she could simply transfer, she realized that finding the way back to love she once had for the sport was simple after all.
She entered the transfer portal. She contacted former Utah and current LSU coach Garrett Griffeth. Just one facetime call later, she officially became a Tiger for the LSU gymnastics team.
“I was very worried. I was scared actually,” Hall said. “I felt like a freshman to the program, learning the new environment and just figuring out the system. But honestly, they have welcomed me with open arms since day one. I feel like I’ve been here the whole time. I was never afraid to voice my opinion because I’ve always felt like they care about what I have to say.”
She also appreciates competing in a city with a higher minority population. She thinks a diverse representation at this level of gymnastics is crucial.
Currently suffering from yet another injury, Hall’s next step is unforeseeable. For now, she’s found a home that makes her comfortable enough to grow at her own pace without any pressure. For the first time, she’s prioritizing her body first and contributing to the team in a new way.
As for her next step, she’s open to staying with the program at LSU if the opportunity presents itself. On the other hand, she’s also looking forward to starting a career as a gymnastics coach.
“I would definitely [go] back to those girls at home that I coached,” Hall said. “They’re amazing. I hope I can one day be the coach that three-year-old me always needed.”
