Amelia Hundley competed in every meet of her collegiate career, including 34 consecutive bars and beam appearances.
Amelia Hundley: Always Moving to the Beat of the Music
Thursday, February 21, 2019 | Gymnastics
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Music has always been a part of junior All-American Amelia Hundley's life.
By: Lauren Staff
Music is a big part of junior All-American Amelia Hundley's life.
She grew up in her mother's Hamilton, Ohio, dance studio, and that was where she fell in love with Broadway and theatrical music.
Even now, she still loves the genre.
"I've always learned towards that kind of music," she said. "It's really inspirational if you listen to it."
Before each training session, a different Gator delivers an inspiration message to her teammates. Then that Gator picks the day's warm-up music.
During Hundley's most recent opportunity, her playlist included songs from one of her favorite Broadway musicals, Wicked, and featured the songs "Popular" and "Defying Gravity".
"Sometimes you just need a good sing-along in the car. It's funny, when "Defying Gravity" is on, even my brothers know it," she said. "Sometimes we'll play it in the car together."
This season, she's getting the chance to show off her favorite style of music in her floor routine, which begins with the song "The Greatest Show" from The Greatest Showman, a movie she fell in love with when she saw it with her mom last Christmas.
"I downloaded it on my computer and watch it every plane ride," she said.
The love of music is something she also shares with former teammate and current Gator student manager, Rachel Slocum. Gator All-American Amelia Hundley turned in nine marks of 9.9 or better this season, including twice posting a collegiate-best 9.925 on balance beam.
The two met each other in 2017, when Hundley started her freshman season and Slocum transferred from Eastern Michigan.
And although Slocum was a junior, she and Hundley were both new to Gainesville and the University of Florida. They leaned on each other during the transition.
"Those first couple weeks in school, we kind of just started clicking," she said. "We became really close really fast, and that's a friendship that's something so special. She's the nicest, most kind-hearted and fun-loving person you will ever meet."
What both of them also have in common is that they are always smiling and are happy to be part of this Florida team.
And Hundley, no matter how she or her team performs during a meet, always tries to keep a positive outlook and attitude on the sideline or while competing.
"I've always kind of been like that," she said. "Any gymnast going into the gym day in and day out, you've got to find the positives, even when times get tough."
