‘Ankle Was Double in Size’: Oklahoma Sooners’ Star Gymnast Recalls Gruesome Injury While Leading Team to NCAA Championship
How exceptional does a team have to be to win 15 NCAA championships? Well, that’s a question Oklahoma Sooners gymnastics can answer. Among many of its brilliant gymnasts, is this exceptional 20-year-old freshman who might be one of the best collegiate gymnasts. Not only did she land the seventh place in floor exercise at the 2023 Winter Cup, but also she outdid herself by enabling USA claim gold at the 2024 DTB Pokal. This NCAA season, the star gymnast showed her prowess on the vault, securing 9.80 on the vault in OU vs Missouri in January, paving the way for the Sooners’ first SEC win of the season! We are referring to none other than the incredible Addison Fatta! But her road to glory wasn’t always this smooth.
On March 4th, Fatta joined the All Things Gymnastics podcast to open up about her grueling injury woes. Recalling the events leading up to her selection for Germany, she shared the shocking aftermath of competing while injured. “I think it really tested my grit going there,” Fatta said. “I got home and my ankle was double in size, it was black and blue. And then I got a call and they were like, ‘You made Germany.” The 20-year-old had sustained an injury during the Winter Cup in February 2024. Despite her efforts to recover fully from it, resting and rehabilitating, it simply wasn’t enough. But here’s what sets the Pennsylvania native apart– she kept getting better and better in the face of her pain.
Following futile attempts at recuperation, the ankle injury proved to be quite a menace for the next few months. Yet, even with her swollen and bruised ankle, Fatta was selected to represent the U.S. at an international meet in Germany in March, proving her determination and skill in the face of adversity. “I think a little bit in my head, I knew I was either going to Germany or I was going to go to trials. I think it was like one or the other. And I knew for sure I made Germany.” Injured as she may have been, the OU gymnast knew, one way or another she would win. But the reality was not all pretty– the effects of her ankle issue continued to weigh on her performance. By the time the 2024 U.S. Championships rolled around, she still wasn’t at full strength. But quitting just isn’t what Addison Fatta does.
Competing through pain, the gymnast competed at the 2024 U.S. Championships, where she tied for 19th place in the all-around competition. It was a valiant effort, but the injury ultimately took its toll. She didn’t make the senior national team and was not invited to the Olympic trials. But that could never be the end for someone as phenomenal as her!