Rosie Casali hails all the way from Weddington, N.C., and is a senior at the University of Denver studying communications.
Before coming to DU, Casali had a phenomenal resume. She placed sixth in the all-around and fifth on bars at the 2019 Junior Olympics Nationals. She was featured twice in the coveted Inside Gymnastics magazine.
Casali is a winner in everything she does. She finished second all-around at the 2017 Nastia Liukin Cup and tied for third on bars at the 2018 Nastia Liukin Cup.
“They [the events above] gave me a sense of confidence going into college knowing what I’m capable of … it’s a really good reassurance of what I’m doing,” she said.
When it comes to balance, Casali has more than just the beam to worry about. In preparation for a meet, she wants to make the environment just like practice so the nerves don’t get to her when she is on the mat.
“I always try to make competitions feel like a practice to take the pressure off me, but there are always nerves when it comes to competition, and I feel like it is good to have adrenaline and add excitement and have all the crowd energy,” she said.
Casali’s self-care routine is also a crucial part of her success. She prioritizes rest, napping and getting treatment when she’s not training. She also manages her personal tasks, such as going to Target and grocery shopping, and ensures she’s well-prepared for her demanding schedule.
When the gymnastics team has a meet day, it’s exponentially important to be ready. If you were watching Casali get ready before a game day, you would find doing her makeup, sitting on the phone, listening to music and getting hyped with her teammates.
“For some reason, every time I watch Impractical Jokers. If I’m not watching, it feels weird. It calms me down—it’s casual and fun,” she said.
Family members are a big part of athletes’ lives, and for Casali, it’s no different. Her family shows up to all her meets and has supported her to become the person she is today. She has two older sisters, Samantha and Sarah, who inspired her to do gymnastics. Even today, they are her rocks to lean on and talk to when things get difficult.
“They are my best friends, and they are my favorite people to talk to. I started gymnastics because both of my sisters did it, but they definitely support me in every way by coming to the meets and watching me, and no matter what happens, they tell me they love me, and they are proud of me,” she said.
It’s common for athletes to have played their loved sport from a young age, and Casali was three years old when she started gymnastics. From a young age, Casali has developed a mentality of understanding that each event in a gymnastics meet requires a different approach.
“I think each event requires its own thing. So for the floor, it’s having energy and having fun, going super aggressive and going hard. The beam is a mental event, so you have to make sure your mind is right, and so it’s just finding what works in each event and learning what works best for you,” she said.
Coaches are a big resource for Casali in her gymnastics career. Casali started her career at Southeastern Gymnastics in her hometown in North Carolina. She said she owes a lot of credit to her coaches at her hometown gym, Ludmilla Shobe and Sofia Managadze.
“They definitely taught me about discipline, hard work, and respect, and that’s something I really appreciate about them. They shaped me a lot in my childhood to be who I am,” she said.
Casali’s dedication is truly inspiring, as she excels both in the gym and the classroom. Her ability to thrive in both areas is a testament to her hard work and determination.
“I get a nice sense of reassurance and confidence when I know I am doing well in school and I don’t have an extra thing to think about in the gym,” she said.
High-performing athletes set standards for themselves of what they want to accomplish. Hard work is a big goal and value she has, so every time she works hard in the gym and in the classroom, she lets the hard work speak for itself, using it to drive her performance.
“This year especially, I have had the best pre-season training I have ever had, and I feel super strong. A personal goal [I have] is all the hard work pays off, and it would suck if I did all of that for it not to pay off, and it’s a big reason for my success this year,” she said.
Hard work is a common trait in the top performers in the world and is a big value in Casali’s mind, as she works very hard when it comes to her routine and in the gym.
“Definitely giving what you have every day, and it’s not always going to be 100% every day. But even if you have 70% that day, still coming to the gym and giving all that you have and having a go-getter attitude [is important],” she said.
A go-getter attitude in the eyes of Casali is not hoping for things to go your way but expecting things to go your way. Every athlete wants to be the best and perform to the highest level individually. For Casali, being at the gym with a great attitude and a work-hard mentality is not only a reflection of herself but her teammates as well.
“Well, in college, it becomes more of a team sport, and I feel like over these past years, I have done everything I can to show up for my team, and I want success for everybody to reach the potential that I know we can,” she said.
For an athlete to succeed, they must rely on the team’s success, whether in the classroom or in gymnastics. Everybody has to win for Casali to win.
“It’s so amazing to watch everybody just work so hard every day, and we put months and months of training into this, so I think it’s what we deserve. It’s really important to see that hard work pays off and creates those happy memories by doing so,” she said.
Overall, her gymnastics teammates help her stay strong, and she credits her coaches’ and teammates’ extreme work ethic for shaping who she is and helping her accomplish her achievements.
“Now it’s my senior year, and things are coming to a close. I am very self-motivated, taking everything in, knowing what I want to accomplish and doing what I need to do to make it happen,” she said.
Casali is now reaching exponential success. She won the share of floor titles on Feb. 18’s meet against West Virginia and Iowa State and on Feb. 23’s meet against BYU. She also set career highs in her beam score on Feb. 11 and her all-around score on March 3.
“Something I am really proud of myself for is just what I’m putting into things. I feel like what I put into things such as gymnastics is putting my all into everything I do, such as working hard in the gym and having fun with what I’m doing and enjoying what I’m doing,” she said.
When Casali is on the mat and performing, it all goes back to having perfection meet hard work. She leaves everything on the floor, which is a true mentality of a champion.
“There is nothing like it. I remember sticking the dismount [on Feb. 11 during her career-high beam score] and landing the routine [which] was so exciting. I felt really accomplished with myself as well as proud. It’s really good that the hard work paid off,” she said.
Casali is ready for graduation, but she has a fifth year of eligibility she could utilize. She is unsure yet if she is coming back to DU gymnastics next season, but, whatever her future holds, she will be a hard-working, go-getter individual.
