University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Rachel Baumann
March 04, 2022 | Gymnastics, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
About six weeks ago, back on Jan. 21, Rachel Baumann did what all gymnasts aspire to do. The senior Georgia GymDog scored a Perfect 10 on her floor routine during a meet against Florida. "It felt amazing; it's still unreal," Baumann said that night.
A few weeks later, when she sat down for a Quick Chat, Baumann was still happy about the 10, but she'd mostly moved past it. As an athlete, you can't navigate what's ahead by looking behind you. Still, it was a routine and a moment Baumann can savor forever. You don't ever forget your first moment of perfection, right? And she did it while her older sister, Alyssa, was there competing for the Gators.
During our Chat, Baumann, from Plano, Texas, talked about home, her funniest teammate, getting started in gymnastics at 18 months old, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: Do you think about 10 much or do you put those kinds of things behind you pretty quickly?
Baumann: I think it's definitely something to still keep in my mind but not at that front of my mind. It's there, I know it's a possibility to happen again, I know I have that capability, but I also know that I'm not trying to go get a 10 every single time I go up. I'm trying to do my best, what I do every single day in the gym. That's just what I focus on.
Frierson: Do you remember your first 10?
Baumann: [Laughs] That was my first 10. I never got a 10 in club so that was a very special moment.
Frierson: Is that sort of like a really good golfer finally getting a hole-in-one, where you're sort of waiting for it to happen?
Baumann: Definitely. It's possible to happen but it's very rare. There are a lot of factors that go into it: hitting your routine exactly perfect and then you have the judges and you don't know what they're going to give you, what they see and don't see. There are a lot of factors that go into it — it's pretty special.
Frierson: When did you know that gymnastics was the sport for you?
Baumann: I started gymnastics at 18 months old [laughs] and was in mommy-and-me classes because I couldn't sit still while my older sister was taking rec classes. I also did soccer up until age 6, with a little dance in there but not much. Age 6 is like the time you decide — OK, pick one sport — and I think I just loved gymnastics so much. Seeing my sister grow up and doing it, and how talented she was, I was like, I want to be like her when I grow up.
There were multiple Olympians coming out of my gym and I was like, I want to do that when I grow up.
Frierson: Having to choose when you're 6 seems like a lot to ask of someone at such a young age. I understand it might be necessary because it takes so much work to get to the top of your sport, but at the same time, you're 6. Do you feel like you missed out on maybe trying some other things because you were already so focused on gymnastics?
Baumann: I think it was a good thing to have something to put all of my energy into, and it was something I could focus on and strive toward. And it definitely built a lot of character and taught me a lot of lessons throughout it, so I'm very, very grateful for that. Transferring those after my career is over is super important, to already have those qualities in me.
I think mostly the fact that it ran in my family, gymnastics, it was a no-brainer to do gymnastics. Training 40 hours a week, that was another big thing. Some social life I feel like I might have missed out on, but other than that I'm pretty darn happy [laughs] with my choice. It worked out pretty well.
Frierson: When you think of home, what comes to mind?
Baumann: Definitely my family is the first thing that comes to mind. I think of home as in Texas — my family is there, extended family, everyone, and then even home here is family. The team, all of the support staff, all of my friends, everyone's family. It's home either way.
Frierson: In your house growing up and through high school, was it gymnastics talk 24 hours a day? Or did someone put a moratorium on how much gymnastics talk there could be each day?
Baumann: That's a good question. My mom's a physical therapist so we basically lived at her clinic, so it was either treatment, gymnastics, health, but there's a balance between living your life and doing what you need to do. Growing up, it was very gymnastics-focused, I would say, but now it's become a bit more like gymnastics isn't everything because it's going to end soon. Now it's about trying to find out what else you love besides that.
Frierson: Was it a competitive advantage to have a mom that's a physical therapist?
Baumann: You would think it would be [laughs] but I had a lot of injuries growing up and I was a little confused why I was one of the people that had the most injuries while my mom was a physical therapist. I lived in that clinic.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Baumann: Ooh, tacos. They're definitely my favorite. Tacos, chips and queso, chips and salsa.
Frierson: Is there are a place here you've adopted as your No. 1 spot for tacos or Mexican food?
Baumann: There are a bunch of places here for good tacos. I would say it's between Taqueria Tsunami or Taqueria del Sol. They're two very good ones.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Baumann: [Laughs] Loulie (Hattaway).
Frierson: You both said that without hesitation and started laughing before you said it.
Baumann: [Laughs] She makes me laugh every single day. We all call her Loulie the Great [laughs]. She definitely puts a smile on my face no matter what. She always makes everything so much more lighthearted.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
About six weeks ago, back on Jan. 21, Rachel Baumann did what all gymnasts aspire to do. The senior Georgia GymDog scored a Perfect 10 on her floor routine during a meet against Florida. "It felt amazing; it's still unreal," Baumann said that night.
A few weeks later, when she sat down for a Quick Chat, Baumann was still happy about the 10, but she'd mostly moved past it. As an athlete, you can't navigate what's ahead by looking behind you. Still, it was a routine and a moment Baumann can savor forever. You don't ever forget your first moment of perfection, right? And she did it while her older sister, Alyssa, was there competing for the Gators.
During our Chat, Baumann, from Plano, Texas, talked about home, her funniest teammate, getting started in gymnastics at 18 months old, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: Do you think about 10 much or do you put those kinds of things behind you pretty quickly?
Baumann: I think it's definitely something to still keep in my mind but not at that front of my mind. It's there, I know it's a possibility to happen again, I know I have that capability, but I also know that I'm not trying to go get a 10 every single time I go up. I'm trying to do my best, what I do every single day in the gym. That's just what I focus on.
Frierson: Do you remember your first 10?
Baumann: [Laughs] That was my first 10. I never got a 10 in club so that was a very special moment.
Frierson: Is that sort of like a really good golfer finally getting a hole-in-one, where you're sort of waiting for it to happen?
Baumann: Definitely. It's possible to happen but it's very rare. There are a lot of factors that go into it: hitting your routine exactly perfect and then you have the judges and you don't know what they're going to give you, what they see and don't see. There are a lot of factors that go into it — it's pretty special.
Frierson: When did you know that gymnastics was the sport for you?
Baumann: I started gymnastics at 18 months old [laughs] and was in mommy-and-me classes because I couldn't sit still while my older sister was taking rec classes. I also did soccer up until age 6, with a little dance in there but not much. Age 6 is like the time you decide — OK, pick one sport — and I think I just loved gymnastics so much. Seeing my sister grow up and doing it, and how talented she was, I was like, I want to be like her when I grow up.
There were multiple Olympians coming out of my gym and I was like, I want to do that when I grow up.
Frierson: Having to choose when you're 6 seems like a lot to ask of someone at such a young age. I understand it might be necessary because it takes so much work to get to the top of your sport, but at the same time, you're 6. Do you feel like you missed out on maybe trying some other things because you were already so focused on gymnastics?
Baumann: I think it was a good thing to have something to put all of my energy into, and it was something I could focus on and strive toward. And it definitely built a lot of character and taught me a lot of lessons throughout it, so I'm very, very grateful for that. Transferring those after my career is over is super important, to already have those qualities in me.
I think mostly the fact that it ran in my family, gymnastics, it was a no-brainer to do gymnastics. Training 40 hours a week, that was another big thing. Some social life I feel like I might have missed out on, but other than that I'm pretty darn happy [laughs] with my choice. It worked out pretty well.
Frierson: When you think of home, what comes to mind?
Baumann: Definitely my family is the first thing that comes to mind. I think of home as in Texas — my family is there, extended family, everyone, and then even home here is family. The team, all of the support staff, all of my friends, everyone's family. It's home either way.
Frierson: In your house growing up and through high school, was it gymnastics talk 24 hours a day? Or did someone put a moratorium on how much gymnastics talk there could be each day?
Baumann: That's a good question. My mom's a physical therapist so we basically lived at her clinic, so it was either treatment, gymnastics, health, but there's a balance between living your life and doing what you need to do. Growing up, it was very gymnastics-focused, I would say, but now it's become a bit more like gymnastics isn't everything because it's going to end soon. Now it's about trying to find out what else you love besides that.
Frierson: Was it a competitive advantage to have a mom that's a physical therapist?
Baumann: You would think it would be [laughs] but I had a lot of injuries growing up and I was a little confused why I was one of the people that had the most injuries while my mom was a physical therapist. I lived in that clinic.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Baumann: Ooh, tacos. They're definitely my favorite. Tacos, chips and queso, chips and salsa.
Frierson: Is there are a place here you've adopted as your No. 1 spot for tacos or Mexican food?
Baumann: There are a bunch of places here for good tacos. I would say it's between Taqueria Tsunami or Taqueria del Sol. They're two very good ones.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Baumann: [Laughs] Loulie (Hattaway).
Frierson: You both said that without hesitation and started laughing before you said it.
Baumann: [Laughs] She makes me laugh every single day. We all call her Loulie the Great [laughs]. She definitely puts a smile on my face no matter what. She always makes everything so much more lighthearted.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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