Colorado woman making gymnastics history after life-changing injury, urges others to follow their dreams
A Colorado woman is making gymnastics history after her comeback from an injury she thought would leave her sidelined from the sport.
Highlands Ranch resident Angela Fuller, 44, began gymnastics at a young age.
"I actually started gymnastics when I was five years old. I was doing flips off the bars at school, and they told my mom, 'You should put her in gymnastics,'" said Fuller.
Angela Fuller
Fuller stuck the perfect landing with gymnastics and for years performed competitively. But nothing could prepare her for life's next twist.
"Right out of college, I was actually in a car accident, and I severely injured my back," explained Fuller. "I had compression fractures in my back and also herniated disks and had nerve impingement damage."
Angela Fuller
She had to say goodbye to gymnastics, but as the years went on, she never forgot the sport she once loved. At the age of 41, Fuller decided to give it another try.
"When I came back, I wanted to do a full comeback, right? I went back and did women's events, then I added on men's events," she said.
Angela Fuller
Fuller also participated in season 15 of American Ninja Warrior. She became the oldest gymnast in the country to ever complete all 14 events in the NAIGC Omnithon, even taking home a silver medal in the men's all-around.
She said she hopes her story inspires others.
"Get off the sidelines of your life. It's not too late to chase your own dream," said Fuller.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Mizzou Men's Basketball Makes Historic Announcement
Mizzou Men's Basketball Makes Historic Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Missouri Men's Basketball made a landmark announcement Monday morning, naming Tim Fuller as the first general manager in program history. Fuller brings over 25 years of experience to the role, having made previous coaching stops at programs including North Carolina A&T, Wake Forest, Elon, Fairfield and Louisville. Advertisement He also spent three seasons as an assistant at Providence under former Tiger, Kim English, where he played a key role in the development of 2024 Big East Player of the Year, Devin Carter. Familiar to Tiger fans, Fuller previously served as Mizzou's associate head coach from 2011-2015 under Frank Haith and Kim Anderson. In 2012, he was named as one of ESPN's Top 10 College Basketball Coaches Under 40. Missouri Tigers assistant head coach Tim Fuller coaches from the Medley-Imagn Images "This role is a full-circle moment for me," Fuller said. "College basketball is evolving and I'm excited to help Missouri stay at the forefront as the program's first general manager." In addition to his coaching resume, Fuller also brings executive experience from his time at Nike and Overtime Elite. Advertisement At Nike, he worked under current Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, helping athletes with endorsement deals. He later served as Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel at Overtime Elite, where he led efforts to recruit elite talent to the emerging league. According to Mizzou's job listing, the new GM role includes handling recruiting, roster management, talent acquisition, and NIL opportunities. It also involves managing the team's budget, travel, scheduling, and tracking performance through internal metrics. Head coach Dennis Gates had high praise for Fuller stating, "Tim is a perfect fit for Mizzou and the newly-created general manager position. His elite combination of skills and experience in the sport and his innovative mindset is exactly what this job requires. I have known Tim for several years and he continues to hold Mizzou in great regard. I'm excited to get to work with him as we continue to build a successful and modern basketball program." Fuller joins a Mizzou program that has earned NCAA Tournament bids in two of the last three seasons under Gates. The Tigers most recently finished sixth in an SEC that sent a record 14 teams to the Big Dance. Advertisement With the hire, Mizzou's staff is now complete for the 2025-26 season, allowing Gates and his team to fully shift their focus to preparing for the year ahead. Related: Mizzou Hoops Reportedly Adds Opponent to 2025-'26 Nonconference Schedule Related: Former Mizzou Guard Jumps Up NBA Draft Big Board This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
'American Ninja Warrior' Season 17 premieres June 2. What to know about Milwaukee's returning star, Taylor Amann
The lineup for "American Ninja Warrior" Season 17 is made up of new and veteran Ninjas, according to NBC Insider. One Ninja returning to the grueling obstacle-course show? Former Wisconsin Badgers pole vaulting superstar and Milwaukeean Taylor Amann. After winning "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness" with two teammates coming up on a decade ago, Amann competed on "ANW" four times, making it to the national finals once. Not being in "the best space mentally" when she last competed on Season 15, she said in a previous Journal Sentinel interview, she fell on the second obstacle of the qualifying course, which meant she wouldn't advance to semifinals. After that, Amann thought she had retired from her time as a Ninja. But then, she kept going "back-and-forth" on whether that was how she wanted to end her "ANW" career. "As a competitive person and someone who's been an athlete my whole life, I couldn't leave it at that," Amann said. Filled with nerves and excitement, Amann flew to Las Vegas in October for filming. To see if Amann made the cut, episodes of Season 17's Las Vegas qualifiers will begin airing on June 2 on NBC. Here's what to know about Amann and Season 17 of the sports-entertainment competition show: 29 years old. Amann is a Hartland native who lives in Milwaukee. Amann is a social media manager at The Weaponry, an advertising agency. Her side hustle: A photography business in which she captures weddings, couples, families, seniors and branding. As an influencer, she has brand deals with Wantable, which has included a collection of her picks, and BYLT Basics. Amann graduated from Arrowhead High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After competing and winning "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness" with two teammates in 2016, Amann went on to compete on "American Ninja Warrior" four times: Seasons 11, 12, 13 and 15. Season 17 will be her fifth attempt (not including "College Madness"). "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness": Won. "American Ninja Warrior": Season 11: Made it to the national finals. Season 12: Eliminated during the qualifying round. Season 13: Made it to the semifinals. Season 15: Eliminated during the qualifying round. Season 17: TBD. Last year, Amann started Ninja training again, which reminded her of "how fun it was," she said in a previous Journal Sentinel interview. That, paired with encouragement from her boss, she decided to give the obstacle course show another go. Amann applied to be a part of Season 17 at the last minute last summer. A couple weeks after submitting her "ANW" application video, Amann received a call from a show producer, inviting her to compete on the upcoming season. In general, Amann works out just about every day. She does HITT (high-intensity interval training) and circuit training focused on strength, with a little cardio. To prep for the show, she added in training at Ultimate Ninjas Oak Creek, where she practiced pull-ups, hanging, swinging and balance obstacles. She met the gym's owner, fellow "ANW" fixture Michael Silenzi, competing on the show a few years back. She also prioritized her "mental game," working on staying calm, focused, positive and confident, regardless of the obstacle at hand. That was "the toughest part," she said in our previous interview. "I've been an athlete my whole life. I like being competitive," she said. "It's just kind of like trusting what I can do. 'Cause as long as I'm training for it and working out every day, I know that my body's ready for it. It's just, my head could be holding me back. So, just staying positive about it." Amann started competing in gymnastics at 5 years old. She was a part of the Midwest Twisters Gymnastics, then competed for the Arrowhead High School team. She committed to pole vaulting after her junior year of high school. As a pole vaulter at UW-Madison, she became a three-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American. According to NBC Insider, the show is hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila and Matt Iseman, along with sideline co-host Zuri Hall. "ANW" Season 17 will feature a lineup of new and veteran Ninjas; the return of some fan-favorite obstacles, including CannonBall Alley; and a few surprise format changes, according to NBC Insider. "This season is really looking at the future of Ninja but also celebrating the past ..." Iseman told NBC Insider. "We saw some upsets that you never would've predicted in a million years. And then we saw redemptions that just made your heart swell. So the season was filled with so many highlights and so many incredible moments." This season's prize? $1 million. "The path to victory will demand even more mind-boggling strength and jaw-dropping speed as these Ninjas are put to the ultimate test," NBC Insider reported. "From the inspiring Ninja stories to the high-flying leaps that take our breath away, Season 17 is bringing the heat." "American Ninja Warrior" Season 17 airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on NBC. The season premiere is June 2. Episodes steam on Peacock, NBC's streaming service, the day after they air. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: American Ninja Warrior Season 17: What to know, how to watch, Taylor Amann
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Yahoo
'American Ninja Warrior' hits the obstacle course for season 17
LAS VEGAS (WSAV) — All bets are off as the ultimate obstacle course conquers Las Vegas to celebrate the past, present and exciting future of Ninja! Legendary competitors and fierce new ninjas tackle fan-favorite obstacles and leveled-up races in an all-new season. Season 17 of 'American Ninja Warrior' begins Monday at 8 p.m. on WSAV. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
