Stock photo of an ambulance in Toronto. (Michael Gil via Wikimedia Commons) College Gymnast Suffers Devastating Injury During Floor Routine Warning: This article contains graphic footage An Auburn University gymnast was carted out from an NCAA event on April 5 after she suffered a major injury during a performance. Video footage of the incident can be seen below. Samantha Cerio attempted a handspring double front when she made a hard landing, breaking both her legs and dislocating both of her knees. “It was pretty tough to watch,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said, reported NOLA.com. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young lady who received terrible injuries to her legs, in competition yesterday…. Posted by Rammer Jammer – Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, April 6, 2019 “She’s a trooper. The last thing she said was, ‘Go help the girls.’ The girls rallied around her. They’re doing this for her right now,” he said, adding that he’s never seen anything like this in decades of coaching. Abby Milliet, another gymnast, said that “we want to feel sad for Sam right now, but this is not what she would have wanted.” “Sam has put everything into this and she’s going to want us to give everything. This is our new fire,” she said. Louisiana State University’s Ruby Harrold said she prayed for Cerio when she suffered the devastating injury. “It was really upsetting,” LSU coach D.D. Breaux of her injury. “I saw the look on (our team doctor’s) face and he ran across the floor with lightning speed.” You'll need a strong stomach to watch this. Posted by New York Post on Sunday, April 7, 2019 According to the New York Post, Cerio was screaming in pain and clutched both her legs before she was tended to by medical staff on the premises. The Auburn team finished with an overall score of 197.075 and advanced to the regional final. Cerio issued a statement on Twitter: “I love my team #WarEagle.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Cerio (@sam_cerio) on Mar 23, 2019 at 8:30am PDT But the Post reported that the team came up short during the regional finals and finished fourth-place. “I think we were out of gas,” Graba said after the final. “Emotionally spent. But I thought the girls fought hard. They did a great job.” Video footage of her routine can be seen below (Warning: Graphic footage). Other details about her injury are not clear. Recovering From Broken Leg According to the NHS.uk website, it takes several months to recover from one broken leg, depending on the severity. “It takes around 6 to 8 weeks for a minor fracture to heal. You’ll probably need to use crutches or a wheelchair during this time, until it’s possible to put weight on the leg again,” the website says. But, it adds, “More severe fractures can take between 3 and 6 months to fully heal. Some can take even longer.” For other people, there are complications. “Damage around the fracture can occur during the initial injury or during surgery,” says the site. “It may lead to loss of movement or feeling, or may affect the blood supply to the limb.”<doc-sep>A gymnast from Auburn University suffered a severe injury to both legs on Friday, while going through her floor routine during the NCAA gymnastics regional. Samantha Cerio, a senior, immediately fell to the ground after landing awkwardly and sustaining a gruesome injury to both legs. Coaches and medical staff immediately ran out to assist her. Cerio was eventually removed from the competition floor on a stretcher. The fall can be seen by skipping ahead to the 39-minute mark. Warning: Graphic According to NOLA.com, Cerio dislocated and fractured both legs. Paramedics used air casts to stabilize Cerio’s fractures. “It was pretty tough to watch,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said according to Nola.com. “She’s a trouper. The last thing she said was, ‘Go help the girls.’ The girls rallied around her. They’re doing this for her right now.” The team rallied after Cerio’s injury on Friday, and posted their highest regional score ever. Cerio conratulated and supported her teammates on Twitter. Auburn finished fourth in the regional finals on Saturday. Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn<doc-sep>A college gymnast suffered devastating injuries to both legs when she fell during a floor routine Friday night at the NCAA Regional Semifinal competition in Louisiana. Auburn University senior Samantha Cerio said in an emotional Instagram post Sunday that the competition was her last one as a gymnast. "Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind," she wrote. "I couldn’t be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become. It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity, and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and road blocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person." Cerio, from Huntersville, North Carolina, was trying to execute a handspring double front on her first floor routine when she landed at an awkward angle on the mat causing her to fall backward on the ground, according to NOLA.com. She was taken off the floor in a stretcher. All, I wanted to reach out and thank everyone who has sent me encouraging messages. I truly appreciate all of the support and prayers that I have have received! I am doing well right now and getting lots of rest! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much! — sam_cerio (@sam_cerio) April 8, 2019 Cerio dislocated both knees and tore multiple ligaments in her legs, Auburn head gymnastics coach Jeff Graba said. She is expected to undergo surgery Monday. “The Auburn Athletics Department is thankful for the outstanding care that the Auburn and the LSU medical staffs have provided to Sam. We also are thankful for the support from the LSU Athletics Department for going above and beyond in this situation. Sam is a fighter and is in great spirits. We couldn’t have a better leader for this team," Graba said in a statement. "It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned. Thank you Auburn family for giving me a home and a chance to continue doing the sport that will always be my first love," Cerio posted on Instagram. In a tweet Sunday night, she thanked fans for their support and good wishes, and said she is "doing well." It's not clear if Cerio, who is studying aerospace engineering, planned on leaving gymnastics prior to her fall or if she wanted to pursue it after college. According to an article on Auburn University's athletic website, she was a top performer on the bars for the school's gymnastics team, The Tigers, and was recently named the SEC co-scholar athlete of the year. Cerio, who graduates in May, also has a job lined up in Seattle with Boeing where she plans to work on rockets as a structural design analysis engineer.<doc-sep>
A senior gymnast from Auburn University had to be carted out in a stretcher from an NCAA gymnastics regional event on Friday after a serious leg injury during her floor routine. Samantha Cerio was making her first pass at the Baton Rouge Regional, attempting a handspring double front with a blind landing when she made the hard landing and fell to the mat. “It was pretty tough to watch,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said after the meet, according to Nola.com. “She’s a trouper. The last thing she said was, ‘Go help the girls.’ The girls rallied around her. They’re doing this for her right now.” LAST-SECOND FOUL LIFTS VIRGINIA OVER AUBURN; TEXAS TECH TOPS MICHIGAN STATE Cerio was reportedly screaming in agony on the floor and clutching both her legs before she was tended by medical staff and athletic trainers. WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW Auburn officials have not given a specific update on Cerio's injuries, but Nola.com reported that Cerio dislocated both of her knees and broke both of her legs. Paramedics placed air casts around both her legs and carried the 5-foot senior from Huntersville, N.C., out on a stretcher amid a standing ovation from fans, The Advocate reported. Cerio, who focuses on the floor and the bars, was recently named an SEC co-scholar athlete of the year, according to the Auburn Tigers website. NOTRE DAME WOMEN OUST UCONN AGAIN, WILL FACE BAYLOR IN TITLE GAME The team finished the Friday night competition with an overall score of 197.075, the highest regional score in program history to advance to the regional final on Saturday night. That drew Cerio to share her thoughts on Twitter, writing "I love my team #WarEagle." The team rallied around Cerio's injury, with the hashtag "#StickItForSam" before the final on Saturday night. Graba told the Advocate she was the "heart and soul" of the team. “We wanted more than anything to do this for her," he said. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Even with rallying around their injured teammate, the gymnastics team ended up coming up short during the regional finals on Saturday, finishing fourth, according to the Auburn Tigers website. "I think we were out of gas," Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said after the final. "Emotionally spent. But I thought the girls fought hard. They did a great job."