By Eden Otero, UF Communications
Entering her first season as a scholarship athlete, Jamie Shisler was prepared to make her senior season her best yet.
But during warm-ups at Ball State on January 11, Shisler's final season with Florida ended before it even began when she tore her Achilles tendon.
“It was pretty devastating for a good 48 hours, but I snapped myself out of it,” Shisler said. “I was like, 'all right I can be integral to this team I'll just take a different role this season. I'll just be the best cheerleader and most positive influence out there.' The next practice I came in and I just started filming people on bars and tried to cheer on people as much as possible.”
But as the old adage goes, when one door shuts, another opens.
While Shisler will say goodbye to college gymnastics after the conclusion of the 2015 season, she'll be embarking on another milestone in her life, one that will allow her to put her economics degree to good use.
Shisler spent her summer in 2014 interning with one of the biggest athletic apparel companies in the world: Nike.
After spending three months working in global media brand – a new form of social media marketing – with the company, Shisler found that her passion for sports will go beyond just her collegiate career.
“It's kind of a cool bridge between the real world and leaving the sports world because it's based on sports and making athletes better,” Shisler said. “Sports are so close to my heart and I have such a passion for it that it's almost like a perfect stepping stone.”
But before Shisler can embark on the next big step in her life, she has to graduate first.
Shisler is scheduled to graduate in August, however, she plans to finish out her college experience by studying abroad in Chile.
While the senior gymnast is majoring in economics, she also minored in Spanish and is hoping to use her time in Chile to expand her Spanish vocabulary.
But beyond what Shisler plans to learn while she's in South America, she's planning on taking on one of the world's great mysteries: Machu Picchu
It is providing her with focus during her rehabilitation. A more immediate goal is to walk for Florida's upcoming Senior Night ceremonies next month. Then later this summer, she wants to explore the 15th-century Inca site.
“If I had unlimited funds that (traveling) is all I would do,” Shisler said. “I'll probably take the more glamping approach and stay at hostels because they have them on the way. Or I might just take the tram up and hike the trails that go up to the big tower at the end.”
