By Katherine Abayev, Staff Writer
Annalisa Page is the definition of a determined and hard-working athlete. Page is a third-year biology pre-medicine student at LIU Pos and an excellent gymnast on the gymnastics team. In the 2024 season, Page was an all-rounder, competing in all four gymnastics events.
Additionally, Page is determined to go to medical school after her four years at LIU, and she has been studying for the MCAT this year. All was going well for Page until she suffered a neck injury in practice in November of 2024.
“I fell off the bars and broke my neck. It sounds crazier than it was. I broke my C7 vertebrae, and I had to wear a neck brace for a month, and I have been recovering ever since,” Page shared about the incident.
While very unfortunate, Page made a quick three-month turnaround and began competing again in February.
“It’s hard to keep out the visions of you getting hurt, and there have been some flashbacks,” Page said about her comeback.
“I decided I can’t sit around and do nothing while I was hurt, so I would go to all of the practices and do mental routines with my eyes closed. I think that helped a ton. My athletic trainer would tell me to keep up with this, so when I’m back, I’m back. Now, I’m here,” Page said.
Page was able to cope with her injury mentally and not let it control her in the sport. This peace of mind allowed her to prepare for her return.
“I began competing again, which is a lot to deal with, but it is so exciting and exhilarating. My team was amazing. There’s a video of me competing for the first time, and I landed my dismount on the beam, and everyone started jumping and screaming, and I got a hug from everybody. After that routine, I started tearing up,” Page admitted.
Page thanks her team and support circle for helping and encouraging her throughout her journey back. She stayed focused and optimistic and was able to compete successfully despite everything she had been through.
Page’s determination is of the sort that is able to make diamonds from coal. She stays incredibly focused and does not waste a second while pursuing her goals.
“I love to do gymnastics. I love it so much. I love to learn. Having a lot of passion for these things motivates me to want to do better and get as much as I can every day,” she said.
While her goals are set, the ways she manages her time to achieve them are very important.
“Timing is very crucial. I will be sitting getting ready for lift, or in the van going to practice and I’ll be studying while doing that because I don’t have time to be wasting,” she said.
Annalisa Page has been through a lot these past few months, from her injury and recovery to making a return; all while studying for the MCAT, she has remained resilient and kept level-headed. With her positive attitude, she was able to overcome the obstacles in her path, and now she can continue looking towards the future.
Since returning from injury, Page is competing in two events, vault and beam, but she hopes to make an all around comeback next season. Afterwards, she plans to go to medical school.
“I don’t know which specialty I would go into yet, but I just want to get out there and help people and help people like me. I have endured so many injuries throughout my career, especially this one being so major,” Page said. “I want to be able to help people with the confidence that I had from my people supporting me.”
Overall, Page has learned so much from her experience and now she wants to give back and help those who have been through pain like hers with the confidence they need to recover. She is truly a model student-athlete.
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