University of North Carolina Athletics
Gymnastics Spotlight: Elizabeth Lindley
February 12, 2010 | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 12, 2010
Sophomore Elizabeth Lindley performed for the first time as a Tar Heel at Carolina's dual meet against William & Mary. Lindley was unable to compete in 2009 due to a knee injury. The Burlington, N.C. native has been a vocal leader for the Tar Heels and planned all of the team's fall community service.
Lindley and the UNC gymnastics team host Maryland at Carmichael Arena on Sunday. The meet begins at 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live by Carolina All-Access on TarHeelBlue.com.
Before the Tar Heels face Maryland they invite the Chapel Hill community to the fourth annual cancer awareness fair. This year's event honors the work of UNC's Get Real & Heel program. The fair will be held in the Carmichael lobby from 12:30 p.m. until the start of the meet.
Head Coach Derek Galvin on Lindley: I was very pleased and impressed by the fitness level that Elizabeth achieved during the summer. She was coming off some nagging injuries and she really worked hard this past summer to put herself in a great position to rapidly improve and that's what she did during the fall. She improved at a rate faster than anyone else on the team. She is a tireless individual. She pushes herself every minute of every day in the gym and that has been recognized by her teammates. They had a lot of respect for her last year just because of the kind of person she is, and she has drawn even greater respect from them because of her work ethic and her commitment to this team. She has certainly faced a lot of challenges in overcoming some injuries, but the way I look at it, she's a champion. I don't know how much she will get to compete because we do have more depth in the team right now than we've had in many years, but she has already proven herself to be a champion just in the way she has applied everything she has to her training. And she has done the same academically. She is the kind of individual that would make any coach really proud to have her on a team. Her strengths right now, she is training primarily uneven bars and balance beam and she will give us depth on both of those events this year.
TarHeelBlue.com: How does the week off impact the team?
Elizabeth Lindley: We looked at the week off as an opportunity to make twice as much progress as we would normally make between meets. It's given us more time to work on sticking landings and other details, and it's also allowed those who are coming back from injuries to have more training time before our next meet.
THB.com: What are your thoughts on your first home meet next weekend?
EL: I am so excited about our home meets! I remember coming to Carolina gymnastics meets when I was younger, and the atmosphere was always amazing, so being out on the floor in a brand new facility as part of the home team is going to be incredible.
THB.com: What does the Blue & Pink meet mean to the team?
EL: The Blue & Pink meet is a great way for us to raise awareness about cancer through the health fair and also to provide support for the Get REAL & HEEL program. Hopefully having the health fair in conjunction with the meet will bring in lots of families and individuals who can benefit from the information about dealing with cancer.
THB.com: What was it like to perform in your first meet as a Tar Heel?
EL: It was amazing! I haven't competed in such a long time, and it felt really good to be back out there again. Having my teammates there to support me was wonderful, and it was just a lot of fun.
THB.com: What did last year teach you about yourself?
EL: Last year taught me a lot about patience, which I've always struggled with when it comes to gymnastics. I learned that I need to know my limits and listen to my body because it doesn't work like it used to!
THB.com: What is your favorite event, why?
EL: Bars and beam have always been my favorite events, but not training floor and vault anymore has made me realize how much I liked them too. There's such a variety of unique skills you can do on bars and beam, and I've always loved playing with new skills on these events.
THB.com: What is the best class you've taken at Carolina, why?
EL: The best class I've taken would definitely be Human Anatomy with Dr. Zinder. A lot of athletes enjoy learning about the body because of the injuries they've experienced in their career, and this particular professor told lots of hilarious stories and made the subject even more interesting and entertaining, so I always enjoyed going to that class.
THB.com: What is your favorite gymnastics memory?
EL: My favorite gymnastics memory is when my gym hosted the North Carolina State Meet my senior year of high school. My coach, Sarah Myers, worked really hard to make that happen because we had been asking about it for a long time, and it really meant a lot to us.
THB.com: What is the best thing about being a Carolina gymnast?
EL: My amazing teammates who support me through everything, and having the opportunity to go to the gym and do gymnastics every day.
THB.com: What are your goals for the season?
EL: Just to keep pushing myself and making improvements every week. I want to do whatever I can to help us achieve our team goals of winning EAGL and qualifying for nationals. Also, one of my daily goals this year has been to be patient with myself and keep my frustration under control when I'm having a bad day, so I want to keep working on that as well.
THB.com: What is your favorite spot on campus or around Chapel Hill?
EL: This is kind of specific, but my favorite place to be on campus is sitting on the quad with lots of people while the Clef Hangers are singing. It's so relaxing and it really makes you feel like part of the UNC community. On Franklin Street, my favorite place to go is Top of the Hill.
Players Mentioned
