Getting to compete as a part of a college team is one of the biggest goals for most young gymnasts. Being able to experience this with teammates who become family, build unbreakable bonds, share wonderful memories, and know you are all experiencing the highs and lows together, is a once in a lifetime experience. You meet girls who become like sisters. For the Stallings twins, getting to share this experience with the person you have shared your entire life with means so much more.
Hannah and Sarah Stallings, current seniors at Temple University, have been doing gymnastics together since they were four years old. Now, after 18 years of doing the sport they love together, they are beginning the last chapter in their competitive gymnastics careers.
When they were growing up, competing on the same collegiate team was always the goal, but their path to Temple was a journey in and of itself. Coming from a small club gym in North Carolina, they did the majority of the legwork around recruitment themselves. “I wasn’t set on one particular thing [when looking for a school]. I was really excited to go anywhere,” said Sarah. “After looking at other schools and finally visiting Temple, I really enjoy how different it was from where I grew up. Temple was also one of the places we could come and be together.”
After coming to camp during the early stages of the recruiting process, the Stallings were presented with an amazing opportunity. It wasn’t perfect, though, because it was potentially for only one of the twins. Luckily, a few months before they were supposed to arrive on campus to start their freshmen years, after thinking coming together may no longer be an option, everything fell into place and there were spots for them both to finish their last four years of gymnastics together. Truly a dream come true.
The transition to college is never an easy one, but having your best friend to share the experience with undoubtedly makes all these big changes just a little easier. “Our living arrangements stayed the same, we have shared a room all our lives,” said Hannah. “But everything else in our lives was different, so having the person who has always been there by your side when you come home, definitely made this first year easier.”
As classes began and practices started, this routine eventually became the new norm. Looking back on their first year at Temple together, it was filled with some of the happiest memories they were able to share with not just one another, but 21 other girls who became bonus sisters. “I wanted a place where I could thrive and feel comfortable, and I found that on the campus with the team,” said Hannah. “Joy is shared; it’s one thing when you get to do this and compete for yourself, but it’s much more fun when you get to do it with people you care about.”
Hannah and Sarah have been training and competing alongside one another since before they can remember, so getting to watch one another grow throughout this experience has been even more special for them. “Competing is a shared thing for us,” Hannah said. “I can be proud of my own accomplishments, but when Sarah achieves something I’m even more proud.” The two have gotten to share some of their favorite memories over the past three seasons: competing at three EAGL championships, getting their own individual chances in lineup spots, going on a full team trip to an SEC school, but, one of the most invaluable things they take away from this time, is how much they have seen the other grow as a person.
“I have seen Hannah be such a fighter,” shared Sarah, reflecting on the ups and downs both have had over these four years. “I’ve seen Hannah persevere through things others can see and things people don’t know about, which is part of the joy of being her sister. … I’ve loved to watch her heart and get to see how much she truly loves and cares for her teammates. I get to see how much she wants them to succeed in a way no one else really gets to.”
Hannah shared that some of her best memories are from her freshman season. Though there have been many highs throughout her sophomore and junior seasons, she has also experienced many challenges. Though it’s been hard, it has shaped her into the person she is becoming and highlights the gratitude she has going into her senior year. Hannah said, “I’ve learned that things might change and that’s not always bad, and even if something looks different it can still be beautiful. … I’m still learning how to be adaptable, but I’m so grateful to have this opportunity.”
Sarah agreed, sharing how much love she has for the program, the people she has met, and how wonderful it is to be able to do this with her best friend. Both Hannah and Sarah bring light and positivity into the gym everyday, and head coach Hilary Steele is just one of the people who has gotten to witness this for the past three seasons. “They both bring joy and love to the team,” shared Steele “They bring so much respect to every person, no matter who you are, and this extends to all the coaches as well. They always come in with a smile on their face, even if it’s a tough day, we can always count on their energy.”
After everything the past three seasons have brought, the two are ready for their final year. They are each looking forward to simply having fun with a team that prides itself on this joy and energy, but are also taking these moments to reflect on how far they have come since their first camp visit. “If I could tell myself something four years ago, I would say to take more time to be proud of myself and celebrate the little wins along the way,” said Sarah. Gymnastics is such a perfection based sport, sometimes it is hard to not be overly focused on the big picture. Hannah agreed, saying, “I would tell myself not everything has to be perfect for you to be proud of yourself,” speaking on how hard this experience may be at times, but how fulfilling having this experience has been in how much she has learned about herself.
Being able to go through this together has been everything the two could have asked for and more. Their relationship as sisters and as teammates has grown much stronger throughout their time at Temple, but they have grown just as much as individuals in this process. Both are undoubtedly taking this time to look toward their last semester and competition season, but while this chapter may be closing, it is just the beginning of much more to come.
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Article by Julianna Roland
