Trying to make a mark in competitive gymnastics is quite a tough ask. Now imagine getting significantly injured in the process of attaining gymnastics excellence. Quite painful, no? Well, that is exactly what happened with this young gymnast from Fowlerville, Michigan. Trying to force herself through her routines, the young gymnast did succeed to a certain point. Unfortunately, her knack for putting excessive pressure on herself came back to bite her in the back. Still confused about who we are talking about? Well, it is Morgan Thomas, of course.

In the middle of an impressive junior season, Morgan Thomas experienced something that shook her to the core. In the most unfortunate manner, Thomas fell and fractured her L5, the fifth lumbar vertebra. And if that was not enough, the fracture occurred on both sides. With no other options left, Thomas had to give up her gymnastics dreams temporarily.

However, throughout her journey to recovery, she did not let the raging fire to succeed within her fade away. Right after recovering fully, she came back with a purpose. And the initial glimpses she saw were enough to understand that Thomas means business. After all, the young gymnast was named the North LSJ High School Athlete of the Week.

But as if she wasn’t enough, she also showed what was popping at the CAAC meet. She also won the top spot on the beam, by scoring a 9.525. She followed it up with a first-place finish on the floor with a score of 9.450. While she couldn’t win the top spot, she managed to impress the fans and her coach alike. In this process, she ended up with 35.675 and got the second spot.

Reflecting on her injuries, Thomas mentioned that there were a lot of takeaways for her. “Not being able to compete last year taught me not to take it for granted and that this is my last season and (I need) to enjoy everything,” said Thomas. Surely, taking a lesson from her injury, Thomas focused hard on physical therapy. She put emphasis on making her back muscles stronger, as she also aimed to upgrade some of her routines. 

Now, her main focus will be to finish strong and aim for the Division 2 state tournament. Reflecting on the same, Thomas stated, “I do have a goal of reaching the state final this year. For my last year, that is something I really drive to achieve. It is definitely something I’ve always worked hard for and has been the end goal.”

Now, she will also be looking to attract top NCAA college programs with her emphatic high school performances. Meanwhile, after her comeback, Morgan Thomas has seemingly undergone a radical change. A change in her mentality not to force something onto herself too much.

Morgan Thomas finds her calm amid all the pressure under the able-mentorship of Coach Paquette

Thomas has always been a standout gymnast! However, this season, there’s something different about her. Throwing light on the same, her coach pointed out that there’s an air of calm confidence that’s elevating her performances. After missing most of her junior year due to a back injury, Thomas has returned to the sport with a fresh mindset, one that her coach, Katie Paquette, believes has been key to her success.

“She was actually really calm going in,” Paquette said of Thomas’ performance at the CAAC meet. The proud coach continued, “She was like, OK, I’m just going to do what I do in practice and hit my routines. Sometimes you can let your nerves get the best of you and she was just ready to go.” Such a composed approach has undoubtedly helped Thomas put together a stellar senior season.

The shift in mindset has been a defining factor in Morgan’s resurgence. Coach Paquette shared, “It’s nice because before she had the expectation of doing well and she wanted to do well. I think now that she sits back and is like, I’m just grateful that I can do gymnastics again. It’s kind of changed her mindset a little bit.”Her time away from competition has in some way reshaped her perspective.

Agreeing with her coach’s words, Morgan herself added, “Some goals I set for myself was to not push it too far and know my limits. I’ve tried really, really hard this season to not strain anything. I have been doing physical work by myself and with my coach to keep my body nice and healthy.” An outlook overshadowed by gratitude has allowed Thomas to embrace each competition without the weight of pressure. Rather, she has just concentrated on performing.

Already the holder of program records on beam and floor, Thomas is making every opportunity count in her final high school season. And adding the cherry to the cake, her calm, collected demeanor is just redefining the way she competes. Now, as she hit the routines on the mat, gymnastics enthusiasts would wait to witness if she could continue the display of her prowess and transition successfully to the NCAA realm.