HAWK TALK

September 2018

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34 A career framed by Freshman of the Year honors in 2001 and the league's top gymnast in 2004 will now add hall of fame distinction. "Going into it, I didn't even know there were titles and accolades like that," Maday said. "I just knew I wanted to compete." Maday, who lives in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, is married and has two children, said her career rarely comes up now. "I met my husband the summer aer I graduated, so he has never seen me compete," Maday said. "He has seen videos. It's easy for that to get swept under the rug because we move on, and we start our lives and have kids and families. ere are quite a few people who don't know (about her career). ey might know I did gymnastics, but they don't know to what extent." Maday has memory books and scrapbooks of her career and has looked at them with her daughter. In one picture from the NCAA Championships, she is surrounded by three Olympians, including Jamie Dantzscher. "It's neat to look back and show my daughter, 'Hey, mom could hang with the best of them at one point in time,'" Maday said. Maday coached gymnastics for nine years aer college, but gave it up when her daughter, now 11, decided to pursue other sports. "We talk about college and scholarships and how hard you have to work," Maday said. "I think she is finally at the age where she understands that." ough she doesn't compete now, gymnastics will always be part of Alexis Maday. "Walking into a dark gym or a training facility, there's nothing better," she said. "It's like a basketball player walking into an arena or a boxer walking into a ring when it's empty. ere's something about that, it will always be there. It gives me goose bumps and chokes me up thinking about it. It's one of those sports that will always have a special place with me." ALEXIS MADAY

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