Courtney Mcgregor has been bending over backward ever since she first joined the Boise State Gymnastics Team. Now, she’s springing forward to get set for the Olympic Games. The catch? She won’t be competing for the “Stars and Stripes.”
Making the Olympics is an accomplishment by itself, but the cherry on top of this cake? McGregor will become the first New Zealander woman gymnast to represent her country since 2000.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” the Athlete said in an interview with Six On Your Side, “It’s not the biggest sport, so it’s great to get some exposure for gymnastics.” said Courtney McGregor.
There is still a lot of work to be done in preparation for the Games. The gymnast isn’t just an athlete, but also a student. Hitting the books and the mat has put a lot of pressure on McGregor, but she says it’s all in a day’s work.
“It’s very intense, especially since I got here. I’ve had classes as well. I was doing class nine to 11:30 and then gym 12:30 to 4:30 and then class [again] six to nine and then I had homework. So it was a bit hard for the first couple weeks but I got used to it.” said McGregor
You could say that she is a veteran in Rio. She shone at the Olympic Test Event held there earlier this year, earning her a spot to compete.
“It definitely helped me handle the pressure I think. The Olympics is going to be a lot of pressure so that will help me for my college career.” the athlete admitted.
McGregor won’t be the only Boise State Athlete to compete in Rio this summer another incoming freshman, Isabella Amado, will compete for Panama. McGregor says nothing compares to the opportunity to represent her country in the sport she loves.
With 12 countries qualifying as teams, Amado and McGregor are two of just 38 gymnasts to qualify as individuals. The entirety of the Olympic Games are scheduled for August 5th through the 21st.
