Jade Carey presented one of the lesser-known cases of resilience during the Paris Olympics.
While teammates Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Hezley Rivera tried putting their best foot forward during the qualifiers, the dynamics and strategy quickly changed for the team event.
Carey had fallen sick and, despite the setback, pulled through a stunning floor routine. She ended up with a deduction due to a fall right at the end of her choreography, but that didn’t stop fans from appreciating her attempt and near-perfect routine.
During the finals, Biles, Chiles, and Lee carried the team on their backs with Carey trying her best to support them across different events. Eventually, the team won gold, courtesy of their joint efforts and sheer talent.
The 24-year-old wasn’t done proving her worth and braced herself for the individual events. The Women’s Artistic individual vault event saw the best of Biles’ performance, which won her the gold.
But what surprised the arena was Carey’s strong performance, ending up with a podium finish for her. She locked in a bronze, and this prompted several celebratory occasions, particularly the one at her educational institution – the Oregon State University.
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Posting glimpses of a warm welcome for their University hero, the official social media page of the institution described their feelings in one word:
“BEAMING…”
The official college team ‘Oregon State Beavers’, was super proud of their student member for making it big on the international stage. Several pointed out how she carried forth all the qualities of a good athlete.
“She showed class, grace, grit and sportsmanship and Beaver Nation is SO PROUD!”
Fans were in awe of how Carey beat her setbacks to achieve the gold and bronze medals.
“@jadecarey so well deserved. To overcome what you’ve been through and compete on a World Class Level, Is truly inspiring. To top it off with a Gold and Bronze medal…is unimaginable.”
One even remarked how she stood out as the star of their institution.
“SHE IS THE GEM OF THE GYM!”
Retired gymnastics icon Najee Richardson also commented:
“This is so cool! Well deserved!”
Lastly, one summarized all the love captured in the pictures perfectly.
“how sweet…the community loves their #goldengirl…”
For Carey, this may not be her last run at the Olympics, but Paris will always remain a sweet memory of redemption and a successful attempt at proving her worth to the world.
