Gymnast Stephanie Lebster battles back from fractured vertebrae to state meet

Stephanie Lebster knew something was wrong.

The Champion gymnast from Holland had felt pain before, but never like this. The constant agony followed her even when she wasn't doing anything active.

Soon, it was excruciating.

Lebster was dealing with a fracture in her vertebrae, a condition known as spondylolisthesis.

"I developed very bad pain in my lower back. It persisted for a month. I have had back pain since freshman year, but it kind of was to the point where it was achy. But there were a couple of weeks where this was really bad," Lebster said. "I got X-rays and found out I had a fracture and a little slide in one of my vertebrae."

Lebster said the origin of the injury isn't for sure, but she thought that her increased weight training could have been a factor.

"It is a fracture that is very common among athletes but it doesn't heal. It is managable, but sometimes I have to take a couple days off," she said.

But that is months later.

Lebster, who will be a preferred walk-on at Michigan State next year, was out for months, forced to wear a back brace and watch as her teammates competed.

More: Big Ten bond: Stephanie Lebster, Sarah Moraw sign with Big Ten gymnastics programs

More: Stephanie Lebster adding strength to balance

"I got the back brace off in September. It took about two more months for me to do actual gymnastics, but I wasn't fully back until maybe the end of November," she said. "I have had a lot of minor injuries but I had never broken a bone until this, and that is an important bone. I didn't need surgery, but it was super sharp pain all the time. I didn't have to be doing anything to have it, which was the key that something was wrong.

"I missed a whole summer of upgrades, which is unfortunate. But I was Level 10 ready to compete."

Then, after finally getting back into the gym and looking ahead, another terrible pain took over her body.

"I got this stomach pain and I haven't had anything like that before. It kept getting worse and we went to the hospital and found out I had appendecitis and needed surgery," she said.

It was another frustrating bump in the road for the Level 10 national qualifier and former Level 9 balance beam national champion.

"I just wanted to get back out there and compete," she said.

Lebster did everything she could to remain in shape and support her teammates, even though it was hard not to train normally.

"Sitting around was horrible. It was the worst part. The pain is one thing, but sitting around was the worst. Being here and not able to do anything was hard. I was so jealous of my teammates just doing anything.It definitely has given me a different perspective," she said. "I would be so nervous for meets, but that has turned into excitement because I get to compete."

That perspective is something she has been able to share with her Champion Gymnastics teammates.

"She has so much internal drive. Even when she couldn't compete in gymnastics, she was working as hard as anyone else, whether it be conditioning or mobility, she is always giving 100%," Champion coach Tami Schaafsma said.

One huge factor helping Lebster was the fact that she had already committed to Michigan State. She didn't have to worry about getting back in time to impress colleges.

"It was definitley helpful. It took that stress away. I was able to take my time and let things heal. I feel like had I been still looking for a spot on a team, I probably wouldn't have been as quick to lay off of things," Lebster said.

Schaafsma said that is something she has seen before.

"These kids work for their entire career to try to get that scholarship. There is so much riding on that. Once you get that, it takes a lot of pressure off," Schaafsma said. "I know she would like to finish her career as a two-time national qualifier. She has been a leader this year and has shown everyone how to make the most of their opportunities."

Lebster competed at the Tulip City Invitational a couple of weeks ago and is looking to have a strong showing at the state meet on March 25, but at the same time, isn't putting any more pressure on herself given how the year has gone.

"Having started pretty late in the season, I am focused on just enjoying the rest of my season," she said. "I am not worried about getting the best scores necessarily because I don't have to prove myself at this point. I am just trying to compete fully."

— Contact Sports Editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Gymnast Stephanie Lebster battles back from fractured vertebrae