Big Family Big Influence for Nicole Ellis
Friday, February 4, 2011 | Gymnastics
In a family of nine, everybody has a different role to play. As the second oldest of seven children, it was only natural that Nicole Ellis took on a motherly role.
The University of Florida junior from Naperville, Ill., grew up helping her parents out by grocery shopping and chauffeuring siblings to play dates and practices. So when Ellis moved to Gainesville, college was an eye-opener.
“The biggest thing was that I didn't realize how much time I spent taking care of my younger sisters or doing stuff for my mom and my family,” she said. “I never noticed when I was home what a time commitment that was, but my freshman year I had so much time on my hands I was like, 'I don't even know what to do with myself',” she said.
The new-found free time just didn't fit well with Ellis.
“I was busy with school and everything but there was just that little bit missing. I missed always being with my siblings and doing stuff for them,” she said.
She was so used to taking care of everyone that she channeled that energy into taking care of her new gymnastics family. She joined others on the team who helped now sophomore Marissa King make the quick transition to UF when she enrolled in January of 2010, and now Ellis is helping the five new freshmen gymnasts adjust to college life.
“I kind of have found my role helping the freshman. I'm always trying whatever I can to help them,” Ellis said. “I think that coming from my family has helped me a lot with that.”
That same caring attitude has inspired her to pursue a career in the medical field. Although she is still exploring possible fields, one of the leaders among her plans is to become a physician's assistant.
“They (physician's assistant) have a lot of control, yet a lot of guidance in what they do,” she said.
She spent part of her summer shadowing physician's assistants at Edwards Hospital in Illinois, where her dad works as an anesthesiologist. Ellis comes from a long line of doctors. Three of her uncles are surgeons, and before having six girls and one boy of her own, Ellis' mother was a pediatrician.
“It's what I've been around my whole life. It's what I know,” Ellis said. “I've never thought about doing anything else really.”
Ellis' experience with injuries has also contributed to her interest in the medical field. In the past three years, she has undergone three surgeries. She had hip surgery before she started at UF and then needed another hip surgery during her freshman year.
“After my first hip surgery I was really motivated because it was right before I started college. I was very focused on getting back and doing everything right to make sure I was as prepared as I could be when I started,” she said. “After my second hip surgery, I lost a little motivation. I was very frustrated with working so hard to get back after the first one and then getting hurt so close.”
But Ellis regained her motivation, eventually healing enough to compete throughout her entire sophomore season and nab three individual vault titles. She had elbow surgery this past summer and has competed in every meet this season, contributing to Florida's floor, vault and uneven bars scores.
“I feel like I've come a long way since then and I feel very honored and blessed to be competing what I am competing right now. It feels like all those challenging times and that hard work is paying off and I can really help the team and it feels good,” Ellis said.
By Mara Rudolph, UF Communications
