My Carolina Experience: Kristin Aloi

My Carolina Experience: Kristin Aloi

By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com

Kristin Aloi's love for Carolina gymnastics started at the age of nine when she participated in her first gymnastics competition ever. The meet just so happened to be held in Fetzer Gymnasium which is where she now practices almost daily as a Carolina Gymnast. Most girls her age had already been involved in the sport for at least four years but being the determined performer that Aloi was, none of that mattered and she was hooked.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I was good enough to compete collegiately," Aloi says. "Yet, because of my inspiring club coaches who pushed me to my limits, I was able to win a few state championships, qualify to Junior Olympic Nationals and get the attention of Derek Galvin, the head coach here at UNC."

Her talents also earned her full ride offers from North Carolina State and Rutgers. When it came time to decide between schools, her experiences at UNC led her to believe it was the right choice. "It was the electric energy in every person I met that made me want to commit," she says. "You can feel the unstoppable spirit of the students the moment you step foot in Chapel Hill and it's contagious. You just want to be a part of it. Derek continued to pass that enthusiasm to me with every visit I made and my mind was made up - UNC was where I wanted to make my home."

The high school valedictorian and Morehead-Cain Scholarship finalist felt well-prepared academically coming into Carolina but was unsure of the impact she could make in competition. It did not take much time for Aloi's Carolina family to build up her confidence and get her to expect more than simply making competition line-up.

During her freshman year Aloi learned to strive for high scores while becoming an integral part of the floor and beam line-ups. She was also a consistent contributor on vault. In her sophomore year Aloi's confidence continued to build on vault and began branching out to bars. That newfound confidence allowed her to begin competition as an all-around participant. Then, during competition at Alabama, a foot injury on vault put an end to Aloi's sophomore season. She would have to sit out her junior year.

"The ultimate driving factor to my comeback was my team," she says. "I knew that I had so much more I needed to give to them; this was, by no means, the end of my gymnastics career. My teammates were very supportive, always remaining involved with my therapy and making sure that I still felt as though I was an important part of the team. At first, it was very tough. I felt completely useless because I could no longer physically contribute. This is when I realized how instrumental you can be to the team in other ways such as hyping them up at meets, writing them good luck notes and talking them through difficult practices. I actually had a lot of fun finding ways to push my team despite not being in the lineup.

"Meredith Petschauer, Pamela Hughes, and John Manor were our trainers at the time; they were always very optimistic that I would come back better than ever. I don't think I would have ever survived or been able to come back to gymnastics without them. Pamela was constantly problem solving ways to work strength back into my foot and was always a shoulder to lean on when I was having a rough day. We cried tears of joy together the first time I competed vault again. That was one of my most magical moments in college so far."

Though Aloi was sidelined, she continued to find fulfillment in her experience and made her dream of traveling the world a reality by joining Coach for College. She found out about the Coach for College program through gymnastics alumni Kara Wright and Christine Nguyen. It serves low-income students in rural areas of Vietnam by promoting higher education through a mix of academics to help the students prepare for the upcoming school year as well as exposure to sports and life skills in a summer-camp style setting. Aloi went for the first time two summers ago and this past summer was asked back as a director of the program.

"I wanted to help others have the same experience as I did, if not even better, so I was thrilled when I was asked to be a director," she says. "The most special part of this program is the way two very different cultures come together to work in harmony for the good of the students. The kids I worked with were inspirational; their pure enthusiasm and unwavering dedication despite their tough circumstances inspired me to push myself every single day. Not a day goes by where I don't think about their smiling faces, and it never fails to brighten my day. The experience touched my heart and continues to inspire me. I can only hope that I had the same impact on those kids."

Aloi took her goals as a student to the next level by successfully completing her pre-pharmacy and psychology degrees as a junior. She then gained admission into UNC's pharmacy school and induction into the prestigious academic honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa.

As Aloi enters her second year in pharmacy school and her last year as a part of UNC's gymnastics team she realizes all the ways Carolina has pushed her athletically, academically, and socially.

"I knew going into that first year of pharmacy school that it was going to be a challenge balancing gymnastics with a professional school program, because both require 100% of your dedication," she says. "I had to figure out how to get all my studying in while getting enough sleep and continuing to push myself in the gym, bond with my teammates and be involved with pharmacy organizations. I was a bit overwhelmed with the intensity but I soon came to realize that I was enjoying the work, even though there was more of it. Thinking of school in this light suddenly made the work seem bearable and gymnastics became my daily escape.

"I may not have a perfect system but it definitely has become easier and I love every moment. I'm so grateful for the love and support from my coaches, teammates, friends and family who push me to be the best I can be every day."

Aloi is still deciding what she wants to do after graduation. "Right now, I think I want to pursue a residency in a hospital to ultimately become a clinical pharmacist in pediatrics but that could change at any moment," she says. "I feel like I need to explore a lot more to figure out exactly where I want to be."

The many experiences she's had at UNC put her in an ideal position to offer advice to the coming generation of Tar Heels. Here's what she says: "Your time here is limited. Take advantage of every moment. Train hard. Work hard. But never forget to have fun. And take note of the impact you have on those around you. When it came to getting through my toughest times on campus it was the people I was surrounded by who ultimately made the difference."

As a result Aloi strove to make a positive impact on as many people as she could and that is what has continued to make her Carolina Experience the amazing one it has been.

Players Mentioned

Kristin Aloi

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