The day Kamila Pawlak switched gyms from Aerial to Metroplex in 2018, there were a lot of tears. Aerial was the club that introduced her to gymnastics at the age of two, that oversaw her progress over the next 10 years, and that gifted her with lifelong connections. Although, upon leaving, she knew that “great things” were to come, she couldn’t have envisaged how great such things would be. Five years later, Pawlak is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025 and has recently committed to Oklahoma, the No. 1 school in the country.
Since moving to Metroplex, Pawlak’s gymnastics has undergone constant and steady improvement. In her first year at her new gym, she competed level 9 for the first time, winning the Texas state meet and the bar title at the Western championships. Two years later, after the shortened 2020 season, she qualified to her first Nastia Liukin Cup, and was crowned both the Texas state all around champion and Region 3 vault champion.
Then, in February 2022, came the turning point. Pawlak won the junior title at the Nastia Liukin Cup in her second consecutive appearance. The victory gave her more confidence in her abilities as a gymnast and raised the stakes, too. “It made me raise the expectations I had for myself and motivated me to work harder to achieve those goals,” she explained. “My experience at the Nastia Cup has made me grow and learn so much as a gymnast and person.”
Later that year, Pawlak repeated as the Texas state champion, swept all medals at regionals, and won three medals at nationals, including silver in the all around and a tied gold medal on beam. The beam victory is Pawlak’s most cherished moment of her career. “Beam was an event I’ve always struggled with, so winning was an amazing moment for me and my beam coach,” she said. “She has worked so hard with me to find confidence in myself while competing and taught me how to calm my nerves. I wouldn’t have been able to make that accomplishment happen without her.”
If 2022 wasn’t good enough, Pawlak’s 2023 season went even better. She qualified to her third consecutive Nastia Liukin Cup—this time as a senior—won the state and regional meets again, and added a floor national title to her beam one. Plus, she posted career highs on vault, beam, floor and in the all around, including a perfect 10.0 on vault.
Scoring her first perfect 10.0 was a dream come true. “I will never forget the moment when the 10.0 showed up on the scoreboard,” she said. “It meant so much to me that I finally accomplished a goal of mine and had my teammates and coaches to share it with.”
Pawlak’s impressive last couple of seasons beg an obvious question—has something changed in her approach to gymnastics that has turned her into the best athlete in her class? The answer, for Pawlak, doesn’t lie in gymnastics skills themselves, but in her new-found maturity and sense of perspective.
“I’ve learned that I won’t always be perfect, and that’s OK,” Pawlak explained. “What’s more important is how you deal with the obstacles thrown your way and what kind of mindset you have. I learned to focus on the present and enjoy every moment while competing.”
Thanks to her high scores, consistency and flawless execution, this past June Pawlak was named College Gym News’ top recruit in the class of 2025. The news left her ecstatic. “I was honored and so grateful and proud of how much I’ve grown as a gymnast in the past few years,” she said. “It was also exciting to see the other recruits in my class being recognized for all their hard work.”
In September she went on four official visits to Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Utah. Given that in the summer her sister Natalia had transferred from Pitt to Alabama, rumor had it that Pawlak may consider joining her there. As it often happens, however, it was but a rumor. Although Natalia is her “best friend” and “biggest cheerleader,” Pawlak was committed to forging her own path in college—not to Alabama, but to Oklahoma.
“[A]s soon as I walked on campus, it felt like home,” Pawlak said of her visit to Norman. “The coaches and girls made me feel welcome and like I was already part of the team. The athletes’ encouragement and support made the program stand out. I also wanted to be a part of the legacy of Oklahoma gymnastics and continue the program’s success.”
As Oklahoma’s freshest recruit, Pawlak is glad that though in 2018 her 11-year-old self left her childhood gym in tears, she still continued to dream big and work hard through the difficult times and bad days. “You’ll be surprised at how far you’ll come if you keep pushing through the hard times and trying your absolute hardest,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re incapable of something, and always have faith in yourself.”
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Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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