Heartbroken Former Gymnastics Star Makes Saddening Confession as She Finds Future in Different Sport

The gymnastics community found it hard to reconcile with Meolie Jauch’s decision. In December last year, the German gymnast bid goodbye to her professional career. Surprisingly, she made her decision at 17. That’s an early age, no? For professional gymnasts, that age can be one of the most sweet phases. Yet the budding talent had to break her ties with the sport at such an age. Per her, she couldn’t cope with the mental struggle after facing injuries and other issues. Ultimately, that led her to call it a day in gymnastics. But here is someone who had to forget the same sport when she was 10. 

Yes, a budding American talent who had so much potential had to accept her fate and bid goodbye to gymnastics. However, she didn’t face the mental struggle that Meolie Jauch did. But her complications are no less. Still, she doesn’t want to stop herself. Now, she dreams of entering the LA Olympics and participating in a different sport. Isn’t that something extraordinary? 

16-year-old has reasons to forget gymnastics on the mat 

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The name Adelyn Flessner may not ring a bell for gymnastics lovers. But once the name ruled at the American school level. In fact, representing DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics, Flessner had sealed 38.000 as her best all-around score in level 8. In 2019, she collected 37.950 as her all-around score in the 6B season of Level ⅞ Region 5 Regionals. Some fine results for a talent! Not only that, Adelyn once made her place among the 50 best American gymnasts coming from the age group of 7-10 years. But those days are gone now. The 16-year-old now doesn’t enter the gymnastics arena. She is far away from the USA Gymnastics’ TOP program that she once aimed to crack. But why? A rare genetic disease put a stop to her love story with gymnastics. 

Before her sixth grade, Adelyn Flessner was diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz syndrome. The rare genetic complication caused her aortic aneurysms. The result? She had to stop her gym sessions and the twists and flips she once loved the most. The decision made her face a massive blow. From her early days, Flessner made gymnastics her escape sport. She had no issue continuing the practice for hours in the gym. But six years ago, she had to forget everything when the doctors informed her parents about her suffering.

“Automatically having to stop one day was honestly the most heartbreaking thing ever. Gymnastics was my everything. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Flessner explained to Indy Star in an interaction. Her family felt the blow in the same proportion. Recalling her daughter’s chance in gymnastics, Adelyn’s mother, Courtney, said, “She was on her way.” She continued, “She was really fun to watch do gymnastics because she was good and was very determined. She was in the zone all the time because, in her mind, she was like, ‘This is what I do. This is my job. I’m here to do gymnastics.’” But there was nothing that could be done to save the dream. Adelyn Flessner had lost the opportunity to reach the sky through the staircase of gymnastics. But what about other sports? Was there any option for her? 

The LA Olympics might spot the versatile talent 

Adelyn Flessner still flips and twists through the air. But she doesn’t land on the mat anymore. Instead, after completing her flips and twists, her body goes into the deep end of the pool. Yes, she is a diver now. She didn’t step into the sport, riding with her hobby only or just for the sake of joining. Rather, the North Central diver has a specific goal to achieve in the diving sport. 

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“2028 Olympics-3-meter. I don’t think she has a real ceiling,” Stephen Hoeferle, Adelyn’s coach, said. But what led him to predict such big targets for his mentee? Here’s a fun fact: Flessner’s fireworks on the diving deck made the coach break his retirement and accept the responsibility. But what are those fireworks? The former gymnast is now among the best high school divers in Indiana. She has shattered North Central’s six-dive record on two occasions this season and has come close to breaking the 11-dive record. Moreover, in the coming weeks, Flessner will attempt to snag the state title in diving. She hasn’t been broken yet. Her genetic disease fell short of her determination. Now, in the coming days, also gymnastics fans might cheer for her. 

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