Last July, a 22-year-old gymnastics star from Mexico had her Olympic dreams shattered in a way that could not be reversed. She shared the devastating news, “Unfortunately yesterday at the last workout I had a plantar tendon rupture in my left leg where I already had another twin tear as well.” For her nation’s best chance to qualify for the top 8, she was more than prepared to perform on the international level—until destiny willed otherwise.

This nightmare occurred during Natalia Escalera’s uneven bars exercise. It was a high note, after which came a crash, literally and figuratively, with the dismount. Diving through the air, she turned unnaturally, and with a sudden landing, she knew something was wrong. But despite all her attempts to look good for the audience, the viewer could clearly see the pain. The young gymnastics star could not walk and was helped off the stage by Mexico’s support team, with tears rolling down her face. People stood frozen as IOC medics entered the field to attend to the injured. Now, nearly six months later, Natalia Escalera is opening up about the heartbreaking moment at the Paris Olympics!

Gymnastics star recalls her heartbreaking moment

Natalia Escalera hosted a candid Q&A on her Instagram stories on 9th January, and one question hit straight to the heart. A fan asked, “How did it feel to not be able to compete on all the apparatus at the Olympics?” Her response was nothing short of raw emotion. The gymnastics star shared, “despair, sadness, courage, stress, I felt like it ripped more than a ligament, my heart and all my work for years as if it had gone to the trash.” The honesty in her words struck a chord, revealing the weight of shattered dreams and years of dedication that felt lost in a single moment.

Beginning on the uneven bars, this young gymnastics performer earned a 12.800 for Mexico, but she was disqualified for the all-around competition. Her dream started at the age of eight, and she trained with Pavel Oceguera, and she started taking baby steps towards achieving her dream. She came into her own in 2021, earning a Pan American team silver and gold on vault, and kept on collecting medals up to 2023.

A bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games confirmed her Olympic bid. When she saw her name on the list, the emotions flooded her. “When I read the Olympic square and my name, I started to cry, cry, and cry, but with a feeling of relief and happiness,” she told International Gymnast Online. And now it seems like this gymnastics star is looking for a comeback!

Is Natalia Escalera set to make a comeback?

After battling an injury to her left foot that flared up just before the Paris 2024 Olympics, the gymnastics star is on the road to recovery. Natalia Escalera is gradually returning to training, as she does therapy and works on uneven bars. Her coach, Pavel Oceguera, said that the last MRI showed that the plantar ligament rupture did not require surgery. “We are already training, calm and in good spirits, focusing on what comes next and learning from what happened for new projects aimed at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” he said according to Gobierno de Mexico in September 2024.

Despite the painful injury, Natalia’s grit shone brightly in Paris. Competing through tears, she delivered a determined performance on the uneven bars, scoring 12.800 and finishing 52nd out of 80 gymnastics stars. “At first it was difficult, she started to work on it, accept what happened and face it, now she is in better spirits and with a clear objective for 2028. At the time it was very difficult, there were contrasting decisions, but mine was always to support her and we will have our revenge for the next edition,” Pavel added. The decision to compete injured wasn’t taken lightly, but he stood by her, calling it a moment that will fuel their “revenge” at the next Olympics.

Her discomfort from the prep camp in Madrid only worsened when she strained herself during a jump in her last practice in Paris. However, she did not want to lose out. “I didn’t want to miss out on the competition and I did the warm-up. I knew it was a risk and that it would hurt when I fell. I gathered my courage because it hurt a lot. I took a breath and managed to do my routine. It was my own decision and it was the right one because I can say that I am an Olympic gymnast,” she shared. While there is no current update, from what it looks like and seeing her resilience and determination, she will be back sooner than we know!