Photo courtesy Rutgers University

Senior Kimmi Shiau poses for a photo at Rutgers University. On this recruiting trip from Oct. 13-15, she was able to watch practice, received tours of the school and the athletic facilities and had a media photo shoot.

As an energized toddler, Kimmi Shiau was put in gymnastics to fulfill her time; little did she know she would become a star athlete. Having started doing gymnastics at 18 months old, Shiau has since vaulted her way to committing to Rutgers University as a DI gymnast.

Shiau decided to take the college pathway versus the Olympic pathway because she knew she wanted gymnastics to be a part of her future, but she also wanted a college education. Not to mention, the Olympic track is more intense and rigorous because of bidaily practice. Although she got offers from many schools, she verbally committed to Rutgers on Oct. 16.

“I was between a lot of Big Ten schools and others like Towson and New Hampshire that were in the Eagle Conference, but the Big Ten really drew me in because they were ‘shiny,’ and when I visited, they were so welcoming,” Shiau said.

The coaches drew her towards Rutgers because of their positive attitude and friendliness.

“One of the coaches has a good connection to my home gym, so I felt like we could talk about our shared experiences and she was really open about the whole recruiting process whereas other schools were a little less open,” Shiau said.

Coach Cynthia Smaha at Shiau’s current gym, Hill’s Gymnastics, has supported her throughout her whole commitment process and has always been an important part of Shiau’s gymnastics career.

“Kimmi is an excellent teammate, is loved by everyone in the gym and is never negative or difficult, as she seems to be able to find the silver lining in all things … she keeps everyone light even on the challenging days,” Smaha said.

Shiau’s teammates see her as more than just a teammate; she has come to be a sister, and losing someone so important will be tough. Not only will teammate, Annie Dockx, go from having daily practice to none with Kimmi, but she will also be living in a different state than her.

“I struggle to find words that would adequately describe Kimmi. Every choice that she makes is met with an overwhelming amount of care for the people around her. Her ability to set her mind to a goal and work tirelessly to achieve it is just about the most inspiring thing I have ever experienced …,” Dockx said.

Gymnastics is such a mentally and physically tolling sport, so gymnasts are prone to many injuries. Just a year ago, Shiau broke her back, setting her back and taking her out of the season. She returned to the gym and persevered with the support of her coaches, teammates and family.

“When you do a challenging sport on top of having an injury as bad as Kimmi did, the odds of achieving this goal is slim to none. For some people, going DI might be a given, but Kimmi’s journey was less than ideal. Because of these reasons, it made her Rutgers commitment so much sweeter,” Dockx said.

To become a gymnast at this high level, you have to prioritize taking care of your body. Shiau has to wake up early and has long practices that require undivided focus.

“For my diet, I eat a lot of protein and I get a lot of sleep. I always stay on top of my work so that it’s not a stressor in practice,” Shiau said.

Shaiu’s focus on gymnastics intensified as she got older and that focus has turned into not just her commitment to Rutgers but being prepared for the season and a future incredible team leader.

“She makes a challenging work environment a fun and desirable place to be, so if I had to describe Kimmi it would be just that, an absolute joy … The Knights aren’t ready for the unstoppable force that is my Kimmi,” Dockx said.