'Can I just have a chance?': How OU gymnast Olivia Trautman overcame injury for last run

Ryan Aber, Oklahoman
·4 min read
Oklahoma's Olivia Trautman competes on the bars during a women's college gymnastics meet between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Florida at Lloyd Noble in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 3, 2023.
Oklahoma's Olivia Trautman competes on the bars during a women's college gymnastics meet between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Florida at Lloyd Noble in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 3, 2023.

NORMAN — Olivia Trautman’s head was spinning.

The fifth-year OU women's gymnast was used to fighting through injuries.

She was used to meeting with doctors, used to grueling rehab and used to excelling upon her return.

So when Trautman suffered a leg injury not long before this season, she figured she knew what to expect. But Trautman was floored when the doctor recommended that she walk away from the sport.

She was even more taken aback when Sooners coach K.J. Kindler echoed the recommendation, saying she wanted Trautman to focus on her lifelong health rather than pursuing another NCAA championship.

“In the past injuries, that never, ever crossed my mind,” Trautman said. “I always knew that I wanted to come back so when they first met me this year, I was honestly shocked. I was like, ‘What is happening?’”

More: How did Oklahoma gymnastics become a juggernaut? For Sooners, it starts on balance beam.

OU gymnast Olivia Trautman was told to step away from the sport. Instead, she battled back once again and is as good as ever.
OU gymnast Olivia Trautman was told to step away from the sport. Instead, she battled back once again and is as good as ever.

But Trautman wasn’t having it.

Trautman wanted to go out on her own terms, walking away from the sport having given it all she had.

“Can I just have a chance?” Trautman asked Kindler. “Can we just see what happens?”

Kindler wasn’t about to deny Trautman that.

Now, just a few months since she was told she should step away from gymnastics, Trautman is once again a critical piece for Kindler’s top-ranked Sooners.

OU opens its NCAA Regional at 7 p.m. Thursday at Lloyd Noble Center against No. 16 Ohio State, No. 17 Arkansas and North Carolina State, which won Wednesday’s matchup against Ball State.

The top two finishers in the Sooners’ session will take on the top two finishers from the earlier Thursday session, which features No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 22 Illinois and No. 25 Iowa.

The top two finishers of Saturday’s session advance to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth on April 13 and 15.

OU hasn’t failed to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships since 2003 and hasn’t finished lower than runner-up since 2015.

Trautman has been a key piece in two championship teams — helping the Sooners win the 2019 title as a freshman in earning first-team All-American honors in the floor exercise.

Last season, Trautman missed the first part of the year due to injury before coming on strong to earn second-team All-American honors in the vault and balance beam.

More: SEC scheduling isn't just a football issue when OU makes the move. Just ask KJ Kindler.

OU's Olivia Trautman scores a perfect 10 on the vault during a women's college gymnastics meet against Florida on March 3 at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
OU's Olivia Trautman scores a perfect 10 on the vault during a women's college gymnastics meet against Florida on March 3 at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.

Trautman might be an even bigger piece now.

She didn’t make her season debut until Jan. 29, posting a 9.95 on the beam.

Then on Feb. 24, Trautman returned to the vault and uneven bars lineup as well.

She posted a perfect 10 in the vault against Florida on March 3, then in the Big 12 Championship on March 18, Trautman scored 9.95 in all three events.

“In true Olivia fashion, she came roaring back,” Kindler said. “I can’t even explain to you what that means for her in her life moving forward from this point, like what kind of a person she is.

“If you all need an employee, she’d be a great person to hire because look at this person who can just basically walk through fire. She really can. For everyone she’s around — her teammates — she’s a huge inspiration.”

Trautman expects to take time to savor this weekend, when she’ll make her final home appearances for the Sooners.

“It means so much,” Trautman said. “It’s super special competing in front of the Sooners fans. So just that one more time to put an exclamation point on my whole entire career, I’m just super excited and super blessed that we get to host.”

Trautman’s contributions go far beyond the scores she puts up.

“She has been through anything and everything you can imagine but she definitely is a smiling face in the gym,” junior Audrey Davis said. “And she shows every single person what she’s made of. She’s just a really great teammate.

“She’s one of my best friends on the team and she’s just such an incredible leader on the team and shows everybody what you want to look up to and what you want to do in life.”

More: Meet OU softball's newest star from famed Batbusters pipeline: Jocelyn Erickson

NCAA Regional

Who: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 17 Arkansas and N.C. State

When/where: 6:45 p.m. Thursday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman (ESPN+)

Note: The top two teams advance to Saturday's regional final (5 p.m., ESPN+)

Tickets: Visit soonersports.com

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU women's gymnastics: Olivia Trautman savors last home appearance