College Gymnast Suffers Devastating Injury During Floor Routine

Stock photo of an ambulance in Toronto. (Michael Gil via Wikimedia Commons)

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.”