Temple University Athletics
Temple Tough: How Reagan Oliveri and Alexa Phillip Overcame Major Injury for 2016
3.16.16 | Women's Gymnastics
         Watching gymnastics can dazzle the eye with impressive routines, flashy costumes, and bright smiles. The energy of the competitors is infectious and their excitement of hitting all the components is palpable. The flip side of that coin is the physical toll it takes on the athletes. Years of practice and meets, all the landings and falls, can lead to big and small injuries that accrue over time. Overcoming these injuries to succeed on the biggest stages becomes a common theme and point of pride for gymnasts. For senior Reagan Oliveri and sophomore Alexa Phillip, these are truths they know well and have made the thrill of 2016 accomplishments that much sweeter.
               Oliveri is one of the many success stories from the Philadelphia area on the team. She joined the program from Clearview High School in South Jersey and found immediate success. As a sophomore, she earned Most Valuable Gymnast in 2014 and first-team all-American honors on the balance beam with her silver medal performance at the USAG National event finals. Looking to build on that momentum, 2015 became a lost year. Oliveri tore her right Achilles' tendon during offseason training. She spent the year recovering from surgery and watching her teammates from the sidelines. "It was a bit devastating. It was hard to handle. There were times where I felt fine and then the next moment I was breaking down because I was so frustrated and upset. It was hard sitting back and having to watch my team do everything that I wanted to. I came to every intersquad, I made it to every meet that I could. I wanted to be there for them just like they were there for me when I would get emotional or frustrated." She credits her team to helping her stay positive during the recovery process. Along the way, she made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the school year with a GPA above 3.0.
               Phillip took a different road to North Broad. She went to Clara Barton High School in Bergenfield, a town in North Jersey. Initially her college path led her to one of Temple's old rivals, West Virginia University. However, years of training and stress fractures in her shin had taken their toll and she was also sidelined. A metal rod was implanted into her leg after suffering over a dozen stress fractures to her tibia. Far from home for the first time, the adjustment to Morgantown wasn't easy. "West Virginia was six hours from home. When we had a competition, a lot of my family members couldn't make it because of the distance." Being away from loved ones compounded the struggle of recovery.
               A change in scenery was in the cards for Phillip but she wasn't quite sure where to go. It was actually a friend from North Jersey and fellow transfer who got her interested in Temple. Sophomore Sahara Gipson grew up near Phillip and was leaving Rutgers to join the Owls. "She knew my situation at West Virginia. I told her 'I don't know what I'm going to do, I don't know where I'm going to go.' She said 'Just come to Temple' and I said 'Ok, I'll come. What do I have to lose?' I had never been to Philly, I had no idea what Temple had for me. I came in with no expectations." Phillip wasn't very familiar with Philadelphia; she had never seen a Wawa before. However, she now feels comfortable with her new surroundings. "I feel way better because New Jersey and [Philadelphia] are similar. As a sophomore here, I have a better grip on what college is going to be."
               Oliveri took advantage of her proximity to home during her recovery process. When the injury first occurred on-campus, her parents were able to join her within an hour. When things were tough, she could make a call to get home. "It was amazing I was so close to home. That was very nice for me to know because I always knew that just 30 minutes away I had family who had my back. I was able to go home and get away for a while. Having my family so close was so helpful for my recovery process."
               Anyone who has played or followed sports knows the difficulty associated with returning from an injury and regaining the confidence in performance. Those who watch football talk about how long it takes a quarterback to return to previous productivity and overall play after suffering a knee injury. Some athletes never reach their former levels. For Oliveri, her recovery meant not just reclaiming her established skills but working on new ones. "When I was coming back from injury, one of our volunteer coaches at the time was giving me tips on how to get back into the swing of things. He was adding skills to my routine and these aren't skills I do every day. What it did for me was give me the chance to actually continue to put my body through the sport, to do skills that weren't in my routine but got me practicing the skills. It gave me the confidence and excitement of coming back, allowing me to feel what it's like to be a gymnast again."
               2016 has been a strong year for both Oliveri and Phillip. On February 6th, at her first meet at McGonigle Hall since 2014, Oliveri scored a 9.85 on the uneven bars, a season-high and career best as the team finished the event with a season-high 48.85. Phillip has consistently delivered on floor exercise, with four scores of 9.75 or better this year, including a 9.8 in the home finale. Both have done well on the balance beam for the Owls, with Oliveri posting a season-high 9.75 on Senior Day.
               The hours of training, the years of sacrifice, the fighting back every time from injury show the passion these two have for the sport. Phillip noted what motivates her is the chance to compete and perform for her teammates and family. "We're always hurting but when we're competing we love to perform, we love the adrenaline rush. Yeah, we hurt when we stop doing gymnastics for a second. Yet right when we put our arms up and salute, we're pumped up. We want to show off our routine. Whenever you play a sport, you're going to get hurt. It's just something we have to push through. It's an amazing feeling to finish a routine and know you landed that routine and you just helped your team out. It's the best feeling ever."Â
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               Oliveri is one of the many success stories from the Philadelphia area on the team. She joined the program from Clearview High School in South Jersey and found immediate success. As a sophomore, she earned Most Valuable Gymnast in 2014 and first-team all-American honors on the balance beam with her silver medal performance at the USAG National event finals. Looking to build on that momentum, 2015 became a lost year. Oliveri tore her right Achilles' tendon during offseason training. She spent the year recovering from surgery and watching her teammates from the sidelines. "It was a bit devastating. It was hard to handle. There were times where I felt fine and then the next moment I was breaking down because I was so frustrated and upset. It was hard sitting back and having to watch my team do everything that I wanted to. I came to every intersquad, I made it to every meet that I could. I wanted to be there for them just like they were there for me when I would get emotional or frustrated." She credits her team to helping her stay positive during the recovery process. Along the way, she made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the school year with a GPA above 3.0.
               Phillip took a different road to North Broad. She went to Clara Barton High School in Bergenfield, a town in North Jersey. Initially her college path led her to one of Temple's old rivals, West Virginia University. However, years of training and stress fractures in her shin had taken their toll and she was also sidelined. A metal rod was implanted into her leg after suffering over a dozen stress fractures to her tibia. Far from home for the first time, the adjustment to Morgantown wasn't easy. "West Virginia was six hours from home. When we had a competition, a lot of my family members couldn't make it because of the distance." Being away from loved ones compounded the struggle of recovery.
               A change in scenery was in the cards for Phillip but she wasn't quite sure where to go. It was actually a friend from North Jersey and fellow transfer who got her interested in Temple. Sophomore Sahara Gipson grew up near Phillip and was leaving Rutgers to join the Owls. "She knew my situation at West Virginia. I told her 'I don't know what I'm going to do, I don't know where I'm going to go.' She said 'Just come to Temple' and I said 'Ok, I'll come. What do I have to lose?' I had never been to Philly, I had no idea what Temple had for me. I came in with no expectations." Phillip wasn't very familiar with Philadelphia; she had never seen a Wawa before. However, she now feels comfortable with her new surroundings. "I feel way better because New Jersey and [Philadelphia] are similar. As a sophomore here, I have a better grip on what college is going to be."
               Oliveri took advantage of her proximity to home during her recovery process. When the injury first occurred on-campus, her parents were able to join her within an hour. When things were tough, she could make a call to get home. "It was amazing I was so close to home. That was very nice for me to know because I always knew that just 30 minutes away I had family who had my back. I was able to go home and get away for a while. Having my family so close was so helpful for my recovery process."
               Anyone who has played or followed sports knows the difficulty associated with returning from an injury and regaining the confidence in performance. Those who watch football talk about how long it takes a quarterback to return to previous productivity and overall play after suffering a knee injury. Some athletes never reach their former levels. For Oliveri, her recovery meant not just reclaiming her established skills but working on new ones. "When I was coming back from injury, one of our volunteer coaches at the time was giving me tips on how to get back into the swing of things. He was adding skills to my routine and these aren't skills I do every day. What it did for me was give me the chance to actually continue to put my body through the sport, to do skills that weren't in my routine but got me practicing the skills. It gave me the confidence and excitement of coming back, allowing me to feel what it's like to be a gymnast again."
               2016 has been a strong year for both Oliveri and Phillip. On February 6th, at her first meet at McGonigle Hall since 2014, Oliveri scored a 9.85 on the uneven bars, a season-high and career best as the team finished the event with a season-high 48.85. Phillip has consistently delivered on floor exercise, with four scores of 9.75 or better this year, including a 9.8 in the home finale. Both have done well on the balance beam for the Owls, with Oliveri posting a season-high 9.75 on Senior Day.
               The hours of training, the years of sacrifice, the fighting back every time from injury show the passion these two have for the sport. Phillip noted what motivates her is the chance to compete and perform for her teammates and family. "We're always hurting but when we're competing we love to perform, we love the adrenaline rush. Yeah, we hurt when we stop doing gymnastics for a second. Yet right when we put our arms up and salute, we're pumped up. We want to show off our routine. Whenever you play a sport, you're going to get hurt. It's just something we have to push through. It's an amazing feeling to finish a routine and know you landed that routine and you just helped your team out. It's the best feeling ever."Â
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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