The Inside scoop of Florida & LSU with Amelia Hundley & Lexie Priessman
Samantha Peszek is on a mission to connect athletes, coaches, and parents with the best resources the gymnastics world has to offer. Utilizing Samantha’s gymnastics network, (she really does have cool friends) guests will be experts in their field and shed a light on hot topics, tips for improvement, and inspiration. Listeners will have the opportunity to learn from some of the sport’s greats, participate in giveaways, and apply relevant tips to everyday life, in and out of the gym.
Sam welcomes to the podcast not one but two cool friends, Amelia Hundley and Lexie Priessman. Amelia has won a gold, silver and bronze at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, she also took home team gold medals competing for the United States at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships and qualified for the 2016 Olympic trials. She is currently a stud competitor at the University of Florida and has scored above a 9.9 in every event this year. Lexie has been a national team member from 2010 to 2013. She won four gold medals competing at the 2011 Japan Junior International competition, and two gold medals from the 2012 Jesolo Meet. Lexie is currently a senior gymnast at LSU and scored a 9.95 on bars this past weekend at her meet.
In this episode, Sam, Amelia and Lexie recall early memories of their friendship, including their time at TOPs and Elites. Amelia and Lexie grew up attending multiple training camps together and looked up to Sam as a mentor and role model. As Amelia and Lexie grew up, they decided to attend different colleges and they speak to their reasoning behind that decision. They talk about the coaches they have had throughout their gymnastics careers from Elites to the collegiate level. Both were lucky to have coaches who were supportive and motivating forces in their lives. They talk about the perceived reputations of both Florida and LSU and talk about the freshman class of each school, respectively. They share their favorite moments from competition growing up, including their first international assignment together in Japan. They also discuss their plans to stay in the field of gymnastics after college. Amelia hopes to one day open her own gym and Lexie would like to enter the health and wellness field of business. Finally, Amelia and Lexie give some sage advice to young gymnasts. They stress the importance of work ethic, perseverance, perspective and passion for the sport.
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Key Takeaways
- Sam thanks her sponsors, Tumbl Trak and Destira
- Introducing today’s guests, Amelia Hundley & Lexie Priessman
- Sam, Amelia and Lexie recall early memories of their friendships
- Amelia and Lexie describe each other’s personalities
- Amelia and Lexie recall getting kicked out of practice…a lot
- Breaking down the recent meet where Amelia and Lexie competed against each other
- The importance of getting high team scores on the road
- Peaks and valleys from Lexie’s last meet
- Peaks and valleys from Amelia’s last meet
- What it’s like to compete against your friends
- The message imparted on Amelia and Lexie by their coaches after their last meet
- Amelia and Lexie describe their coaches
- The differences between Elite and collegiate coaches
- Lexie introduces the freshman on her team at LSU
- Amelia introduces the freshman on her team at Florida
- Team goals for 2019
- Lexie speaks to the perceived reputation of the University of Florida
- Amelia talks about the perceived reputation of LSU
- How Amelia and Lexie chose to attend Florida and LSU, respectively
- Amelia and Lexie share their thoughts on the new NCAA postseason format
- Amelia and Lexie give their predictions on which teams be the Final Four on the Floor
- Sam takes a moment to thank her sponsors once again
- Amelia and Lexie recall what it was like training together growing up
- Their favorite shared moment from competition
- How Amelia and Lexie’s friendship has endured throughout the years
- The advice Amelia and Lexie would give to young gymnasts
- Amelia and Lexie identify one moment in each of their careers that taught them a valuable lesson
- Amelia and Lexie’s plans for after college
- Amelia and Lexie reveal one thing people can do to get 1% better each day
- Happy belated birthday to both Amelia and Lexie!
