Recently, an Auburn gymnast dislocated both her knees at a competition. Samantha Cerio is a senior who, since her injury, has hung her hat on gymnastics. The video of her injury went viral, and though most people offered their support, Cerio reminded viewers that the video of her injury shouldn’t be the focal point by saying, “My pain isn’t your entertainment.”

The competition was hosted at LSU, a long-time rival of Auburn, but the fans in attendance were very supportive and Cerio received a standing ovation as she was carried off the mat.  

She has received many well-wishes, including one from Charles Barkley during the NCAA championship. While in the hospital, she was visited by the president of LSU.

Her team rallied around her injury and earned their second highest score of the season. Another senior, Abby Millet, called her teammates together. “We’re not going to get sad. We can be sad later because it is sad. But we’re going to do what she would want us to do and light this fire. This is time for us to have a new fire. Sam wouldn’t want us to give up. She would fight harder.”  They placed second overall after LSU.

Cerio had surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. According to a tweet from her coach, “Surgery lasted two and a half hours and was a extreme success…the road to healing to full healing will be a long and difficult one, but we are confident that she’ll be able to make a complete recovery.”

Her goal now is to walk down the aisle at her wedding this June. Her fiance shared a video to Instagram of Cerio filling out a coloring page, assuring everyone that she is doing fine. 

Career-ending injuries hurt both on physical and emotional levels, and when captured on video, viewers should think about this when choosing to view the videos, sharing them, or making comments.