Outside the Bubble: Rhythmic Gymnastics with Olympian Camilla Feeley

By: Jessica Huang

Hoops and clubs soar through the air as Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG) Olympian Camilla M. Feeley gracefully performs on the carpet, catching and throwing apparatuses to uplifting music. While the rhinestones on her leotard shine under the bright lights of the competition stadium, her talent, which she has honed since 2005, shines even brighter.

In Feeley’s 16 years of RG, she has achieved amazing feats as a nine-time USA National Team member, both as an individual rhythmic gymnast and as part of USA’s Rhythmic Group. In 2016 she was part of the USA Olympic team as a reserve, and afterward, she joined the group, qualifying for Tokyo with her four teammates in June.

The team learned of their Olympic qualification in their hotel room in Brazil after competing at the Pan-American Championships.

“It was so many emotions all in one. So many years of hard work paid off,” Feeley said. “Every one of us just broke down crying. It was incredible. Like, [we were] just so excited and felt like our dreams had come true.”

For those unfamiliar with RG, gymnasts compete using a hoop, ball, clubs, or ribbon, and in group, teams of five gymnasts juggle more than one apparatus per routine. 

“[Group and individual categories are] both rhythmic gymnastics, but they're completely different. Individually you're focusing on yourself, but in group, you also have to watch everyone around you, and catch other people's equipment. You have to learn to communicate, learn to have leadership, and to help other people laugh,” Feeley explained.

Before their competition on August 6th, the team trained harder than ever with two practices each day, one in both the morning and evening.

  “This whole experience is such a growing experience for me, I've never been in any situation like this in the Athlete’s Village, and I'm honestly so motivated by all the athletes here. They’re so incredible, working hard and achieving their goals and you know, coming back with medals,” Feeley said.

Overall, Feeley believes her biggest takeaway from RG has been gaining determination. “It's taught me so many things but mostly dedication and hard work,” Feeley said. “I know how to work hard. I'm scheduling my own time: I always have to put time away for school and time for gym and being able to focus on one thing at a time.”

The determination she has gained not only applies to her strong performances as a gymnast, but also as a student. After Tokyo, the 21-year-old will be entering her sophomore year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studies psychology. 

“I'm very interested in how the brain works, and personally I've had to meet with many sports psychologists to get to where I am, with competition and staying competitive and in the game mentally, so psychology has just been really interesting to me over the years,” Feeley said.

Her strong work ethic is something her friends and teammates admire about her as well. “She's so nice and so sweet, but [when] it's time to work or when it's time to focus, she completely switches on her game mode. She's this very resilient, very tough person which you might not expect from her immediately,” former Mongolian RG National Team Member and Feeley’s friend Saruul Tsogtbayar said.

In 2018, Feeley’s resilience really shone when she got surgery for her injured foot. “It took me probably six months to recover from that incident, but I took one week off after surgery, and then I went straight back to the gym,” Feeley said. “I continued my physical therapy and conditioning in order to get back because I wanted to go; I wanted to complete this goal.”

What has remained constant throughout her career, however, is the importance of her teammates. “I think it's just really motivating knowing people in your life who are so inspired and going for their goals, and that's what's kept me going and motivated up until the end,” Feeley said. Her favorite memory of gymnastics, besides qualifying for Tokyo, are the moments she spends with teammates right before a competition routine. 

“I honestly just love those moments because we're so connected, excited, as one,” Feeley said.

For teammate Isabelle A. Connor, one memory with Feeley stands out. “There was one time where I had just gotten my heart broken, and I was at training the day after. I was trying to hold it together, and we finished practice competition training,” Connor recalled. “I kind of just [sat] down on the floor and started crying and she came over to me and put her hands on my shoulders and just said, ‘Izzy, you’re so strong.’” 

“She’s super duper duper sweet and just so incredibly kind,” Connor continued. “I think she is probably one of the kindest people I've ever met.”

Having captivated the world with her teammates in Tokyo, Feeley offers the following advice for aspiring gymnasts: “Stay true to yourself from the very beginning, you know, don't just follow the crowd and do the regular new elements that everyone's doing. Be yourself and have fun on the carpet.”