Maegan Chant celebrates her uneven bars routine at the 2017 Southeastern Conference Championships. The former Canadian National Team member has found a home with the Gators.
Maegan Chant: This Canadian Loves Being a Florida Gator
Wednesday, January 24, 2018 | Gymnastics
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By: Lauren Staff - UF Athletics Communications
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Whether it be on the sideline during a meet or at practice, Maegan Chant never seems to be without a smile. Her bubbly personality is always on display.
"Maegan is one of the most genuinely sweet people you will ever meet," Florida head coach Jenny Rowland said. "She is definitely one that will put others over herself."
Maegan Chant competed in the final eight uneven bars lineups of the 2017 season. Chant was sidelined for the early portion of the 2018 season after undergoing ankle surgery in the off-season. She looks to make her first performance of 2018 Friday, as she is scheduled to perform an exhibition vault.
From her outside persona, it might be difficult to tell how hard the sophomore has been working the last few months to get healthy enough to earn a spot back into the Florida lineup. After an ankle injury sidelined her for some of the 2017 season, Chant had surgery to repair it during the offseason.
"I took a bit of time off, and I'm just now slowly getting back to vault and floor," Chant said. "Right now I'm just working hard and trying to be ready when the team needs me."
She's striving to be back by the middle of the season, and contribute on vault, floor and bars. Her injury, however, is not the first obstacle she has had to overcome during her time in Gainesville.
Last season, Chant had to make the transition into collegiate gymnastics after taking a year off from school to vie for a spot on the 2016 Canadian Olympic team. Competing for a team rather than as an individual, adjusting to the academic demands of college and moving over 1,800 miles away from home were daunting tasks, but the Waterdown, Ontario, native didn't let them overwhelm her.
"It was definitely an adjustment coming here," Chant said. "It's not close to home but I adjusted really well. I wouldn't change it for the world."
She earned collegiate-best scores of 9.875 on vault and bars and was featured in the last eight bar lineups of the season. But her accomplishments reached beyond the gym floor and into the classroom. Chant was selected as a member of both the 2017 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and NACGC Scholastic Academic All-America team.
Chant is hoping to repeat that same success when she is healthy and help the Gators try to make another run to the NCAA Championships.
"I think our team chemistry is really great this year," Chant said. "We all do a really good job of pushing each other harder and looking after each other, and I just think the team we have now will push us and get us to where we need by the end of the season."
