Freshman Skye Blakely returned to the competition floor for the first time in 199 days at the Gators' season opener Friday night inside Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. (Photo: Morgan Hurd/UAA Communications)
Determined Debut: Gators Freshman Skye Blakely Pushed Herself to Get Back Faster Than Many Thought Possible
Friday, January 10, 2025 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators freshman gymnast Skye Blakely has represented the U.S. on three continents and appeared in an episode of "Barney & Friends" as a 5-year-old. In other words, Blakely is no stranger to moments that might stir butterflies in her stomach.
There was such a moment for the 19-year-old Texan on Friday night at the O'Dome. A development few thought possible 199 days ago. That was June 26 in Minneapolis at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
The description of that instant from NBCNews.com is below:
Blakely was having an excellent training day Wednesday before moving to the floor exercise, where she was injured on a double layout. She was carried off the competition floor with her face in her hands and wheeled out of the arena by medical staff members.
Blakely had postponed her enrollment at Florida for a year to train for the Paris Olympics, and her performance at the U.S. Championships last June in Fort Worth, Texas — where she finished second in the all-around to Olympic icon Simone Bile — seemed to stamp her passport for Paris barring a significant injury.
And then Minneapolis happened, followed a week later by surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, followed by months of intense rehab and physical therapy to return to action. The general timeline from doctors was a six-to-nine-month recovery.
Blakely's determination guaranteed the under.
"Zero doubt," Gators head coach Jenny Rowland said Friday night when asked if she considered Blakely's return this soon realistic. "As soon as she stepped into the gym, you could tell she was on a mission, and she was going to do everything she could to get back to where she wanted to be."
The time finally arrived in the second rotation Friday night, with Blakely set to go fourth for Florida on the uneven bars. With her right ankle wrapped, Blakely landed her warmup routine and took a moment to herself on the crowded competition floor.
She sat down on a nearby mat, rubbed her right foot, and then used a massage gun on her right calf. She then stood and flexed her foot, and stretched to remain loose. With her turn approaching, Blakely stood alone, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed, seemingly alone in the wilderness and lost in thought.
And then it was showtime, and Blakely posted a 9.725 in her collegiate debut. The score was inconsequential. She had done it.
"I was really excited to compete. I wanted to get back out there on the competition floor,'' Blakely said. "It was safe for me to come back and to land dismount on bars."
Blakely said that two weeks after surgery, she set her mind on being healthy enough to compete in the season opener. Still, she said she didn't know whether it would happen until a week ago when she landed her dismount on a hard surface for the first time. She had prepared for that advancement by landing in a foam pit to strengthen her foot and regain her form.
Teammate Leanne Wong, who made it to Paris as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team last summer, echoed Rowland's thoughts on Blakely's early return.
"Every single day, taking steps forward, and there she was,'' Wong said. "She stuck a hard landing and really trusted everything."
As soon as Blakely landed, her teammates rushed to congratulate her and the big smile she wore.
She's had countless big moments in her career, but Friday night is one she won't forget.
"I was proud of myself. I've worked extremely hard to get here,'' Blakely said. "The recovery and PT is not easy. I've definitely been encouraged by my teammates and coaches. Sitting there, just knowing that I did it, and I made it back, and I was able to come back to gymnastics again, just made me extremely proud of myself, but also, doing the bar routine knowing that I have room for more, just makes me more hungry to come back for the rest of the season."
Skye Blakely is all smiles as teammates congratulate her following her first collegiate routine on Friday night. (Photo: Morgan Hurd/UAA Communications)
Blakely joined the Gators as one of Rowland's most decorated recruits. She has been a U.S. Senior National Team member since 2021 and was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. Her older sister, Sloane Blakely, is a senior and one of the Gators' veteran leaders. She said the opportunity to compete alongside Sloane for her older sister's final season added to her drive to return to competition as soon as possible.
Older Sis had some advice before Friday's opener.
"She just reminded me to be myself and how hard I've been working in the gym for this moment,'' Blakely said. "She just has always been there to encourage me and remind me how ready I am. Being able to compete next to her again … it's definitely a dream to be at the same university. I love being able to cheer for her and that she's there for me. Something I've been looking for."
It didn't take long for fans to get acquainted with the newest Blakely. She was the first gymnast introduced over the PA system after the Gators ran onto the floor for introductions.
Blakely was back on the competition floor, far from that summer day in Minneapolis when lousy luck crushed her Olympic dream. Coincidentally, her Gators teammate Kayla DiCello experienced the same misfortune at the U.S. Olympic Trials when her bid for Paris ended with a ruptured Achilles tendon. DiCello recently underwent surgery on her other leg and is unlikely to compete this season.
Still, the two share a bond that Blakely cherishes.
"It has made everything a lot easier, being next to someone who knows exactly how you feel," Blakely said. "Not just the injury, but how devastated we were at the Olympic Trials. We could just lean on each other."
As DiCello continues on the road to recovery, Blakely is ready to continue to challenge expectations. She hopes to do more as the season progresses.
But on Friday, one event was enough. She was back when few thought it was possible. She had proven something to herself and shocked others.
"The main part of my encouragement to get back … was just being hurt and sidelined from my main goal. I wanted to kind of prove to myself that I could do it again, that I could be back out here,'' Blakely said. "I don't want to take a step back. I believe I am where I need to be.
