For a gymnast to lose the strength in an ankle is a devestating injury that hinders her ability to compete. And while some may throw in the towel and call it a career, the Wolfpack's Brittany Vontz fought back, fought through the pain and is now one of the team's leading point contributors.
Vontz, a junior, grew up with gymnastics as her focus since the age of three, and despite a few moments where she wanted to give up, found it to be her passion.
"When I was little there were a couple times I told my Mom I wanted to quit," Vontz said. "And she told me every time that she had already paid the month's tuition [and I had] to keep going. By the end of the month I was always having fun again and didn't want to quit."
Her passion for gymnastics has also led to her achieving what every student wants--success in the classroom.
"My parents always told me I had to get straight A's in order to do gymnastics," Vontz said. "It's really helped me in school because I've had to work really hard to keep the straight A's in order to do gymnastics."
Gymnastics has also provided her a social outlet to help her develop friendships through the sport,including her current teammates.
"It's helped me meet a lot of new friends and family," Vontz said. "All of my teammates are like sisters to me."
But Brittany Vontz's gymnastics journey is not one that always runs smoothly. After being signed to be a member of the Wolfpack gymnastics team, Vontz tore her achilles tendon, an injury that is devestating to an athlete who relies heavily on her ankle strength to jump and land cleanly.
However, Head Coach Mark Stevenson knew he had something special when he signed her.
"Brittany [Vontz] was one of the best athletes we've ever recruited," Stevenson said. "She is a phenominal person who does a phenominal job."
And she has not let him down. Since arriving in Raleigh, Vontz has made consistent improvements during her three years at State.
"The first year she did bars only," Stevenson said. "The second year she did bars and some of the other events. And this year she's really come into her own."
Vontz led the team with a 39.100 in the all-around at the Pack's recent meet against William and Mary. And her success not only helps the team with points, but also with confidence.
"The more she does and the more she competes and puts it out there, the better off the team is," Stevenson said. "When she is being successful, [her teammates] are feeling successful so they continue to step up to the plate."
But as with any great athlete, Vontz has her quirks.
"I'm really superstitious," Vontz said. "So I'm normally the one off to the side a little bit probably pacing back and forth being nervous."
And while her coach sees her odd habits, he is not worried about them.
"Superstitions are crazy but at the same time, they're in somebody's head," Stevenson said. "As long as Brittany gets her head on right, she's awfully good and that's important to our team."
Perhaps surprisingly, Vontz's biggest superstition is in what many maintain is her best event.
"I'm very superstitious about my grips," Vontz said. "It started when I was younger and I just don't let anybody touch them for some reason. I think it's because I'm always really nervous about bars for some reason. A lot of people say it's my best event but for some reason I get really anxious to do it."
And while she is focused on her work at hand, Vontz understands that she will have a life after college, after gymnastics.
"I want to do something in the medical or health field and I definitely want to work with athletes at some point," Vontz said. "I'm really considering physical therapy and I'd really like to work with athletes because I am one so I know what other athletes are going through with injuries."
Vontz has had many experiences with physical therapists in her time as a gymnast, so the move is one that would come naturally.
"With gymnastics you jump a lot, so I saw [physical therapists] a lot," Vontz said. "I got to see how physical therapists work with their patients and I think it's a really cool relationship. They teach you a lot of really great skills."
And if her work ethic and attitude are any indication of how she will fare when she leaves State, she should be in good shape.
"[She] is unwilling to give up working until it's the way it needs to be," Stevenson said. "[She] has a phenominal attitude about being successful."
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