Like any exceptional athlete, Riley McCusker knows the value of a team. Although gymnastics is often thought of as an individual sport—mainly because gymnasts don’t take the floor together—McCusker, a junior at the University of Florida and a key member of its elite gymnastics team, mentions more than once the support she has received from fellow gymnasts, from coaches, and from mentors. A few of her accomplishments include 2018 World gold medalist, six-time US National Team member, 2023 NCAA All-American on bars, and 2022–2023 SEC Academic Honor Roll member. And she’s only 22. Let that sink in.
McCusker, a premed major with plans to go to medical school, wrote in her College Women application that, in addition to gymnastics, she’s passionate about mental health and is working tirelessly to help combat the stigma associated with it in sports. “I feel strongly about this because I’ve witnessed time and time again athletes who are afraid of asking for help due to fear of retaliation, fear of not being believed, or just not knowing what resources could be available to them.” McCusker also made headlines in 2020 for bravely speaking out about issues in her sport, when she and a fellow gymnast raised concerns about the “culture of abuse” in the gymnastics community.
In her precious free time, McCusker is like any other college kid; she loves playing with her dog, watching Netflix, and making jewelry, and is always up for a last-minute trip to the beach. Here the Gator talks with iconic American ballet dancer Misty Copeland about the pressure of being a student athlete, the nonprofit she plans to start, why having a support system is vital as a young woman, and more. Here’s their conversation.
Misty Copeland: I read that you were, as a child, full of energy. Did you have dreams of becoming a gymnast before you were put into classes?
Riley McCusker: I had no idea what gymnastics really was. I’d just be running around wanting to flip into the pool when I was doing swimming or when I was doing soccer. I wanted to be doing cartwheels. My mom put me in a gymnastics class at six years old. I fell in love with it from the first day, and it’s been a huge part of my life ever since.
Do you feel that you found your power and your voice through gymnastics?
Absolutely. As soon as I started, it just clicked and I was like, “This is what I’m supposed to do.”
What’s that thing that makes you say, “This is what I was meant to do”?
I love how in gymnastics, there’s always something more you could be doing, another skill you could be working on. You could be improving on little details and techniques. So I feel like there’s always something to strive for—just trying to get a little percent better every day.
This rings so true for me as a dancer—that your body’s constantly changing and evolving and you have to continue to keep up the technique. What are some challenges you’ve faced as a college athlete, and how have you overcome them to get to where you are?