EMMA SLEVIN WASN’T sure if the opportunity would even be there, but a late summer move to the United States has transformed her career.
The 23-year-old was poised to stay in Dublin after completing her degree in Health and Performance Science at University College Dublin (UCD), with plans to take on a master’s while continuing to compete at elite level.
Eventually, however, the penny dropped. The workload, she realised, was going to be detrimental on both fronts.
Having witnessed other European gymnasts successfully apply to US colleges, she belatedly followed suit last June. Time was of the essence.
“I was just hoping there were still spots,” Slevin said. “I went over in July, visited a few places, and within a month I had committed. It all happened very quickly.”
That late, late decision brought her to the University of Minnesota and into the demands of NCAA gymnastics, where weekly competition and a high-performance environment have driven a noticeable shift in her performances.
She never looked back. “It’s been a great year,” the Galwegian enthused. “I feel like I’ve been competing a lot since January. It’s busy, but it’s great for me.
“It’s really helped build my confidence. Competing every week is something I never got to experience before, but it’s something I really built on week after week. You could see improvements every single week.”
That consistency translated into both individual and team success.
Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, ranked 13th at the start of the season, produced one of the stories of the NCAA campaign by reaching the ‘Four on the Floor’ – the collegiate final – becoming the first team outside the top 10 to do so.
To get there they overcame fourth seeds UCLA, who had beaten them twice earlier in the season. Ultimately, they finished fourth behind champions Oklahoma.
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“It was a very historic moment for NCAA gymnastics and for Minnesota,” Slevin said. “We talked about it all year – our goal was to go to nationals. The more we talked about it, the more it felt achievable.”
Slevin: 'I’m definitely stronger than I was in previous years.' Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Slevin played her part throughout, competing on uneven bars and delivering one of the standout moments of her season by winning the Big Ten Conference title in March with a score of 9.95.
She puts that progress down largely to a change in mindset.
“I’ve always been good at bars, but one thing I struggled with before going there was confidence, and that’s what changed,” she said.
“I really started to perform at my best and that was the difference. The potential was always there, but that little change in confidence made a huge difference.
“If you make a mistake one week, you only have to wait five days to try it again. That was huge. You really saw the scores elevate throughout the season.”
The structure of NCAA gymnastics, with competitions every week, is a departure from what she had previously experienced. It is something she has embraced.
“There are 15 people fighting for six spots in an event,” she said. “It’s difficult, but it’s also good. It pushes you to be the best you can.”
Taking that kind of leap is not new for Slevin.
Growing up in a GAA-focused household, she made a significant decision at 13 to step away from Gaelic football and camogie in order to concentrate fully on gymnastics.
Her twin sister, Kate, has gone on to enjoy league and cup double soccer success with Athlone Town and is currently focused on playing ladies’ football for Galway, while her brother, Mark, is also involved in Gaelic games.
Slevin's twin sister, Kate, is a talented Gaelic football and soccer player. Grace Halton / INPHO
Grace Halton / INPHO / INPHO
The move to the US brought some challenges, although Slevin settled well.
The time difference, in particular, made staying connected with home difficult, and a short return to Ireland over Christmas – just five days – highlighted the sacrifice she had made.
But once the competitive season began in January, the schedule quickly took over and she revelled in the week-to-week nature of it.
Now back in Ireland, Slevin’s attention has turned to this weekend’s Gymnastics Ireland National Championships in Abbotstown, which will act as a qualifier for the European Championships in August.
The World Championships follow in October, and she believes she is in a stronger position than before to contend at that level.
“I’m definitely stronger than I was in previous years,” she said. “European finals and world finals are definitely achievable. It’s just about managing the load and staying healthy.”
Looking further ahead, Slevin is eligible to return to Minnesota for another year – a decision that could align with the Olympic qualification cycle.
“My eyes are definitely set on LA,” she said. “But I’m taking it one year at a time.
“When I was growing up, there wasn’t really that depth in the Ireland set-up. Now we have so many athletes competing at a high level. It’s really exciting to be part of that.”
*****
The Gymnastics Ireland National Series National Championships take place on Saturday and Sunday at the National Indoor Arena, with NCAA star Emma Slevin, recent World Cup medallist James Hickey and many of Ireland’s top gymnasts in action on Sunday afternoon.
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Emma Slevin: Transformational US move, GAA background and LA 2028 dream
EMMA SLEVIN WASN’T sure if the opportunity would even be there, but a late summer move to the United States has transformed her career.
The 23-year-old was poised to stay in Dublin after completing her degree in Health and Performance Science at University College Dublin (UCD), with plans to take on a master’s while continuing to compete at elite level.
Eventually, however, the penny dropped. The workload, she realised, was going to be detrimental on both fronts.
Having witnessed other European gymnasts successfully apply to US colleges, she belatedly followed suit last June. Time was of the essence.
“I was just hoping there were still spots,” Slevin said. “I went over in July, visited a few places, and within a month I had committed. It all happened very quickly.”
That late, late decision brought her to the University of Minnesota and into the demands of NCAA gymnastics, where weekly competition and a high-performance environment have driven a noticeable shift in her performances.
She never looked back. “It’s been a great year,” the Galwegian enthused. “I feel like I’ve been competing a lot since January. It’s busy, but it’s great for me.
“It’s really helped build my confidence. Competing every week is something I never got to experience before, but it’s something I really built on week after week. You could see improvements every single week.”
That consistency translated into both individual and team success.
Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, ranked 13th at the start of the season, produced one of the stories of the NCAA campaign by reaching the ‘Four on the Floor’ – the collegiate final – becoming the first team outside the top 10 to do so.
To get there they overcame fourth seeds UCLA, who had beaten them twice earlier in the season. Ultimately, they finished fourth behind champions Oklahoma.
“It was a very historic moment for NCAA gymnastics and for Minnesota,” Slevin said. “We talked about it all year – our goal was to go to nationals. The more we talked about it, the more it felt achievable.”
Slevin played her part throughout, competing on uneven bars and delivering one of the standout moments of her season by winning the Big Ten Conference title in March with a score of 9.95.
She puts that progress down largely to a change in mindset.
“I’ve always been good at bars, but one thing I struggled with before going there was confidence, and that’s what changed,” she said.
“I really started to perform at my best and that was the difference. The potential was always there, but that little change in confidence made a huge difference.
“If you make a mistake one week, you only have to wait five days to try it again. That was huge. You really saw the scores elevate throughout the season.”
The structure of NCAA gymnastics, with competitions every week, is a departure from what she had previously experienced. It is something she has embraced.
“There are 15 people fighting for six spots in an event,” she said. “It’s difficult, but it’s also good. It pushes you to be the best you can.”
Taking that kind of leap is not new for Slevin.
Growing up in a GAA-focused household, she made a significant decision at 13 to step away from Gaelic football and camogie in order to concentrate fully on gymnastics.
Her twin sister, Kate, has gone on to enjoy league and cup double soccer success with Athlone Town and is currently focused on playing ladies’ football for Galway, while her brother, Mark, is also involved in Gaelic games.
The move to the US brought some challenges, although Slevin settled well.
The time difference, in particular, made staying connected with home difficult, and a short return to Ireland over Christmas – just five days – highlighted the sacrifice she had made.
But once the competitive season began in January, the schedule quickly took over and she revelled in the week-to-week nature of it.
Now back in Ireland, Slevin’s attention has turned to this weekend’s Gymnastics Ireland National Championships in Abbotstown, which will act as a qualifier for the European Championships in August.
The World Championships follow in October, and she believes she is in a stronger position than before to contend at that level.
“I’m definitely stronger than I was in previous years,” she said. “European finals and world finals are definitely achievable. It’s just about managing the load and staying healthy.”
Looking further ahead, Slevin is eligible to return to Minnesota for another year – a decision that could align with the Olympic qualification cycle.
“My eyes are definitely set on LA,” she said. “But I’m taking it one year at a time.
“When I was growing up, there wasn’t really that depth in the Ireland set-up. Now we have so many athletes competing at a high level. It’s really exciting to be part of that.”
*****
The Gymnastics Ireland National Series National Championships take place on Saturday and Sunday at the National Indoor Arena, with NCAA star Emma Slevin, recent World Cup medallist James Hickey and many of Ireland’s top gymnasts in action on Sunday afternoon.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Emma Slevin gymnastics Interview