Bridget Sloan reflects on her long and successful gymnastics career. Florida's Senior Night is this Friday and marks the final home appearance for the the Gators' four-member 2016 class.
There's only one Bridget Sloan
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 | Gymnastics
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By: Ashley Milchman, UF Athletics Communications
August in Gainesville. 85 degrees, 100% humidity, and thousands of new students taking their first steps on the UF campus.
But nestled in the O'Connell center, Bridget Sloan's favorite moment of the year, the first team meeting, is about to begin. The last three seasons ended with Bridget Sloan and the rest of the Gators covered with confetti. The 21-time All-America competes in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for the final time this Friday."It something that I'm not sure why I love it, but I do," Sloan said. "There's just something about all of us being together for the first time."
This year, however, was different. The 2016 season meant that Sloan's long career in the sport of gymnastics was coming to an end.
It is quite hard to recap Sloan's career. Beginning gymnastics in 1996, Sloan's career is reaching a bountiful 20 years, a career longer that the lifetimes of some of her teammates.
But the legacy she will leave is encapsulated in so much more than her gymnastics. The 2008 Olympian will leave Florida with more than perfect 10s, a "Gym Slam" and record-smashing titles. The 21-time All-American will be remembered for her fiery spirit, her determination and her leadership.
Her road to Florida was long and eventful. In 2008, Sloan was the youngest gymnast named to the Olympic team. The U.S. took the silver, and Sloan continued to blossom in the elite gymnastics world. The next year, she won the World Championships' all-around gold. Her attempt to return to the Olympics in 2012 ended with an elbow injury at the Trials. Instead of being London-bound, Sloan's focus turned to her next challenge, Florida Gators' Gymnastics.
"I realized that I still love this sport," Sloan said of her mindset after the 2012 Trials. "Elite is very difficult and it can drain you and beat you down sometimes, but if you have a positive attitude, it can only beat you down so much."
Just a few months after the trials, she stepped foot on the University of Florida campus with one mission in mind.
Sloan was drawn to Florida for the reason most would turn away from.
"I think what drew me to Florida was that they hadn't won a championship yet," Sloan said. "It was this program that was so incredible but just needed that little extra something to get there."
And Sloan found that little extra something three times, with three consecutive national championships.
"When I came to Florida, I realized I had made the best decision of my life," Sloan said, "The Gator Nation is just incredible, the Gator Nation is everywhere."
Friday nights in the O'Connell Center prove that the Gator Nation loves Sloan as much as she loves it. Her introductions are met with thunderous applause, her stuck landings result in vibrant cheers and her signature Gator chomp during her floor routine warrants a clap so loud, that for a moment, her music is inaudible.
As Sloan looks to the end of her career, she feels complete excitement.
"Senior Night, it'll actually be the first time that my entire family is together," Sloan said. "I'm really excited to have everybody in Gainesville, and just go out to have a great last hurrah in the O'Dome."
Sloan considers post-season gymnastics, including SECs, Regionals, and NCAAs, to be her favorite time of the year.
As for the future, it's up in the air. Sloan's keeping her options open, with jobs, internships and even grad school as active possibilities. She says her dream job is to head out to Oregon to work for Nike. But one thing she is most excited about is the ability to return home whenever she chooses.
"As an athlete you can only go home so many times," Sloan said "You only have so many breaks, so it'll be nice to go home and see them more often."
Soon, Sloan will hang up her orange and blue studded leotards for good. Her iconic red hair won't be seen from the O'Dome floor. Her rock and roll floor routines will be just a memory. But her legacy will not be forgotten. Bridget Sloan breathed a new life into the Florida Gymnastics program, and the Gator Nation will truly miss her.
When asked what she wanted to say to wrap this feature up, Sloan fell silent. She took a glance around the gym, slowly taking in the visuals of her teammates dancing and laughing, her framed photos on the wall, her name on the wall of perfect 10s, all with a subtle smile.
"Live it up," she said. "Have fun. Go out there and do your thing. Go Gators!"
