Nina “Fliptastic” McGee is all about the crowd. You can tell she’s a natural show woman through her confidence and how her assured she is in her skill and ability. Coupled with her utter lack of doubt, this makes her one of the leading collegiate gymnasts in the United States, as well as one of the most exciting performers to watch.
It was a mere week ago that Nina won her first Perfect Ten score with her floor routine and first place in All Around awards. As a returning senior to the University of Denver, the excitement of the success is still buzzing.
When asked how she felt after she won, she laughed. While she normally wears glasses and contacts, she admitted that she wears neither during her meets. She wasn’t sure what her score was until her team and the crowd went wild. It was a shock. The first score of the season, and it was perfect! With no wobbles, she perfect choreography, musicality and timing, Nina has every right to be bragging about her win, however, this gymnast’s humble nature was unmistakable during our interview and it intrigued me to know more about Nina “Fliptastic” McGee.
The baby of seven sisters, Nina grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and began her formal gymnastics training around the age of three. 20 years later, she’s finishing up her education at DU with majors in both Psychology and Marketing. She’s gained a lot along the way. Most notably? Her steel legs! Jokingly, Nina showed me her scars from surgery. Both her legs underwent operations when each of her tibias fractured and she was left with steel bars in her shins and screws in her knees. With a smile on her face, she explained that despite not being able to compete her freshman year, the knees do have some advantages: she can always tell when it’s going to rain!
Despite her hardships, Nina has made a name for herself at DU and across the nation. When asked why the Olympics weren’t an option, Nina kindly explained (to someone who knows next to nil about the sport) that those gymnasts are younger and they will be consumed with it for their entire youth. Needless to say, Nina is an exceptionally talented athlete and gymnastics will always be a part of her life. However, she is ready for graduation and the next step of her professional career. She hopes to one day work in the public school system. Ideally, she woule love to work with middle school kids as a guidance counselor. As long as she can help young kids to become inspired as she did, she will be happy.
When thinking about the future Nina explains that she’d love to get back to her roots and perhaps move closer to her family and sisters in either Houston or Atlanta. And yes, this girl is from the south! She loves fried catfish, cooking and family time. Her parents have come to every home meet and can always be found cheering from the stands.
She’s not finished quite yet! There’s still an exciting year ahead for Nina, and training never stops. If you’re interested in cheering her on, check outo the DU Gymnastics website for meet times or Nina’s many video’s on Youtube including her Perfect 10!