Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Alexis Maday routinely sets school records for the University of Iowa and wins more than 70 percent of her meets in the all-around competition. The accolades and athletic success don't match the determination she has learned over the years, coming back from injuries and disappointments.

Maday, a freshman from Fredrick, Maryland, suffered a lower back stress fracture in 1995 after making the United States National Team the previous year. The injury caused her to miss an entire year of competition. As Maday watched her teammates from the national team go on to make names for themselves on the national stage, she was determined to come back from her injury, which became complicated with ankle injuries as well.

"My family, teammates and coach helped me keep my confidence through all my injuries," says Maday. "My teammates were great when I was in the gym, cheering for every little thing that I was able to do. Even if it was just walking across the beam after my first surgery, you better believe they were right there cheering and yelling."

She also credits her coach for allowing her to come back at her own pace and encouraging her to continue conditioning with the team when she was on crutches.

Maday's family has been a strong influence in her sports career, giving her 100 percent support during her comeback from injuries and providing her with opportunities. Some might say Maday was destined to be an athlete. Her parents and brother all participate in multiple sports, making sports a huge part of her life growing up.

A Health Promotions major, Maday hopes to stay actively involved in gymnastics for as long as possible. In the future, Maday wants to keep excelling at collegiate gymnastics and represent Iowa in the World University Games. Her long-term goal is to make the 2004 Olympics.

Maday knows what it is like to be down and to rebound from injuries and become even stronger. She suggests that when girls first begin participating in sports, that they need to stick with it even through the rough times. "That's when you find out just how much the sport means to you, and how serious you are about it," she says. For those aspiring athletes who feel like quitting, she tells them to imagine their lives without the sport.

"Imagine not having to go to practice every day or having all the friends you've made through the sport. How different would your life be? That's when you know." Most important, she says, "Have fun."

In a recent GymInfo National Poll, Maday was ranked fifth in the individual all-around, becoming the first Iowa Hawkeye to receive a ranking this high. At the 2001 Big Ten Championships, Maday won the floor exercise and individual all-around competitions.