University of Georgia Athletics
Dickson Showing Progress in Young Career
January 26, 2017 | Gymnastics
By: Shannon Hamilton, UGA Sports Communications Student Assistant
Rachel Dickson, a freshman from Canton, Michigan, set some lofty goals for herself as a young gymnast.
Those goals have finally been realized as she competes in her first NCAA women's Gymnastics season for the Gymdogs. Dickson has played a significant role for the Gymdogs from her very first meet. She and the rest of the Gymdogs have put in countless hours of work in both the fall and continuing through this season in order to achieve success.
This hard work culminated into great success last week for Dickson in the Gymdogs' SEC matchup with Arkansas.
"In the fall we put in a lot of work," she said. "We practice super hard and train super hard and what we were looking to achieve is the confidence and courage to step into these meets and know that we've got this."
The practice paid off for the freshman as she claimed her first-career event title against Arkansas with her showing on bars.
"From the first meet to the most recent, I think I've definitely progressed a lot and I am excited knowing that it is a step in the right direction," Dickson said. "But I know I have a lot more progression left in order to achieve my goals, and our goals as a team."
In addition to winning her first event title on the uneven bars, she also tied her career highs on both bars and vault. With such a strong performance in an SEC matchup, she is feeling encouraged for the rest of the season.
"Setting those career highs is an amazing feeling and knowing that your hard work is paying off is really encouraging. Hopefully as the meets go on, those career highs can get higher and higher and I can achieve more goals with my team."
NCAA Gymnastics has introduced Dickson to a few new experiences, but her favorite, she says, is being a part of a team.
"Where I came from, it was very singular and individualized. Coming here to Georgia and having all these girls supporting me is such a boost of confidence. I love being around my team. I love everything that they do for me and everything I can do for them. They are my home away from home."
Another new experience for her has been performing during televised meets. At first, the cameras made her a little nervous, knowing that there were people watching her and being unsure of where the cameras would be. But it was her teammates who helped her get through it. With a smile, she said "My teammates helped me stay focused and stay in the moment of the meet, instead of worrying about the camera and the crowd."
The most exciting new thing she has experienced is performing in her first home meet at Stegeman Coliseum.
"I could not tell you how excited I was for our first home meet! Seeing the Coliseum packed and knowing that everyone was there to cheer for the Gymdogs is the most exhilarating and exciting feeling in the world. I will look forward to every meet that I get to compete in Stegeman for the rest of my career."
For now, Dickson and the Gymdogs are focused on moving forward and perfecting their routines.
"We have the routines we have the talent, we have the ability we just need to focus on perfecting those little details and that will make our scores continue to improve and help us reach our full potential."
The team hosts Mizzou on Friday at 7 p.m. in its annual Pink and Green meet to raise cancer awareness. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network +.
