Welcome to Girl, For Real, where we hear the voices of real women talk about real life. This column is meant to highlight the experiences of successful women so that the next generation can learn and build off their successes and voices. This week we talked to Hailey Crow, who shared her perspective of being a female athlete at TCU. See the interview below!
Hello Everyone! I’m here with our first Girl, For Real guest Hailey Crow! She is a sophomore gymnast at Texas Christian University pursuing a degree in Movement Science. How are you today Hailey?
Hailey: I’m good, how about yourself?
Doing well! So, tell me, what got you into gymnastics in the first place?
Hailey: My parents put me in gymnastics when I was 3 because they needed a way for me to get my energy out. I loved the sport and did it competitively until I was 13. I picked it up again here at TCU and am on the club gymnastics team.
Oh wow! That’s awesome! How do you balance sports and college?
Hailey: Time management. I use a planner and my calendar to schedule out every day. I make sure I know when things are due ahead of time so that I can plan accordingly. This is very helpful with balancing school, gymnastics, my social life, and my leadership position in my sorority.
Wait, you are also in a leadership position in your sorority? How??
Hailey: Yes, I wanted to be more involved with my sorority, and I thought having a position would be a great next step. It has been a challenge adding another thing to my schedule, but I am able to organize well and schedule out everything I need to do so that I am on top of everything.
Have sports been as fulfilling in college as they were beforehand?
Hailey: It has been a very different experience. When I did gymnastics when I was younger, it was more competitive. The coaches were very hard on us and hoped of us succeeding by going to the Olympics or at least doing D1 gymnastics. TCU club gymnastics has reminded me of how fun the sport is, and it has been nice to not have to take it so seriously.
Are you planning on continuing after college?
Hailey: I am not. After college, I plan to go to grad school to get a doctorate in physical therapy. I do, however, want to work with athletes, so maybe I’ll be able to help some young gymnasts as a physical therapist.
Thank you so much Hailey for joining us today, and I wish you all the best in the future! If you would like to share your voice in an interview, email martin.vershel@tcu.edu!