Juggling activities, academics and a social life is hard enough in college, but imagine if you were a record-setting, Big Ten athlete on top of everything else? This is the case for senior Allison Buckley.
Buckley is part of the women’s gymnastics team here at Illinois, and not only has she earned 42 individual titles, but has earned several Big Ten titles as well. She set the Illinois all-around record last February with a score of 39.525. Not to mention, the day we sat down with Buckley was the day she found out she has been accepted into graduate school. Buckley tells us at Her Campus Illinois what it’s like to balance her sport with school.
HC: How long have you been doing gymnastics, and how’d you get into it?
Well, since I was 1, so 21 years. My parents own a gym, so it’s always been natural to get into it. I pretty much grew up there.
HC: What’s a typical week like for you?
During the season, we’re up at 6 a.m. and practice until 7:30 p.m. I have class at 8, then we’re all done by noon or 1. We practice at 1:15, so we have morning or night classes, whichever fits in our schedule. At 1:15, we practice for 3 or 4 hours, and we also have treatment and training rooms. I’ll get home by 6, eat dinner, do homework, and just go to bed. Thursday and Friday we’re usually travelling, and we get Wednesdays off during during preseason.
HC: Well you’re definitely busy! Do you get any free time?
During the preseason we’ll get maybe a half-day to ourselves, one full day at the most.
HC: What do you do with that time?
Other than catching up on sleep, if I’m in the mood I’ll walk around the mall and shop. Really anything to get my mind off school and gymnastics, so watching T.V. or anything relaxing.
HC: What’s the most difficult part of being so busy?
I’m constantly tired. There’s no time to fully relax, and it’s hard to stay on top of school. You’re always reading on-the-go, it’s a very rushed feeling all the time.
HC: Well congratulations on all of your successes thus far, how does it feel to have these accomplishments?
It’s exciting. Any award is. I’m constantly reminded of my Big Ten awards, and I keep my plaques up in my room, which is cool.
HC: What’s your favorite event?
The balance beam, I really like the risk involved. It’s exciting and challenging.
HC: What’s your best memory from your gymnastics career?
Sophomore year, we were the first team from Illinois to make it to Nationals in Nebraska.
HC: What are your long-term goals?
This will be my last year doing gymnastics; my body cannot handle another year. I actually just found out today that I got into grad school here at U of I. I will be earning my Masters in Sports Management.
HC: What’s your best advice for those who are pursuing an athletic career while in college?
Stay on top of your school work, especially during season. For me, if I didn’t work as hard as I did, I wouldn’t have gotten into grad school. But also, have fun. It’s what college and sports are all about.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.