Rachel Spicer: Memorable Final Season
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | Gymnastics
By Eden Otero, UF Communications
Rachel Spicer was only 17 years old when she arrived at Florida.
After completing her senior year of high school ahead of schedule, Spicer's first day at Florida started in spring 2012.
Fast forward to 2015 and Spicer is about to graduate again, and this time, she'll say goodbye to competitive gymnastics all together.
“I wasn't scared when I came here, although I was so young,” Spicer said. “It was kind of weird –my parents had to also sign various paperwork along with me because I wasn't 18 yet. … But I was a little more mature for my age, so I didn't have a hard time keeping up with the schedule.”
In a season where Florida's team has been hit with various injuries but still possess much potential, she's excelled in Florida's lineups on vault, beam and the floor meet after meet.
Spicer's final season has been a highlight of her skills. To put it simply, she's had the final season that most gymnasts dream of.
Her season has almost completed itself, and so far, Spicer has gotten to savor every last bit of it.
Her most notable performance for the 2015 season came when she dedicated her meet to her mother, Mickie Spicer, during Florida's annual Link to Pink meet. Spicer ended the night with the best performance of her season on floor, posting her 2015 best of 9.925.
“It definitely hit home a lot more than usual. Every year is super special competing for the survivors, but this year competing for a loved one and someone that's super close to me was really special. … I have awesome pictures from it of me pointing up to my parents in the stands. It's so indescribable. It's a feeling I never felt before.”
The Link to Pink meet was a night that Spicer said meant a lot to her – it was something she'll always remember in her final season – not just because she had the opportunity to compete for her mother, but also because she felt and saw the outpouring of love and support that Florida fans offered her.
“It (the fan support) leaves me speechless,” Spicer said. “It's just like, you probably know my name, and that's about it, you don't know much about me and for you to be there, cheering me and the whole team on is just unbelievable. Especially at home on floor, last event and my last pose is the Gator chomp. I can't even explain how amazing that is.”
With just one meet remaining and then the start of postseason competition, Spicer is gearing up to be the best she's been this season.
But the closer she gets to the end, the closer she comes to finishing her career in her home state of Texas. Fort Worth is the site of the 2015 NCAA Championships – a meet so close to her hometown of Dallas, that her aunts, uncles and even grandparents will be able to attend.
“It'll be really cool that I can end my career in my home state.”
