When former gymnast Jordyn Wieber won the all-around world championship ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, she faced a difficult dilemma.
She could gamble on Olympic success and become a professional athlete or refuse the financial opportunity of the fleeting Olympic spotlight and retain her NCAA eligibility.
With no guarantee she would make the Olympic team, Wieber opted to go pro. Her bet paid off.
She won an Olympic gold medal with her “Fierce Five” teammates and graced the front of a Corn Flakes box, but she still mourned the loss of her collegiate athletic career.
“At the time, the lifespan of a gymnast didn’t seem to be very long,” Wieber said. “Thinking back to being a 16-year-old making this decision, it’s insane.”
Now the head coach of women’s gymnastics at the University of Arkansas, Wieber’s athletes won’t have to choose between Corn Flakes and SEC crowds.