The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1351834
APRIL 2021 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Academics have always been im- portant to fifth-year senior gymnast Thomas Paul. While Paul was a high- level athlete growing up, school came first — always. Paul's parents, Stephen and Regina, instilled those principles in him from a young age. "School needed to be done, and it needed to be done well, and then ev- erything else sort of came after," Paul said of what the expectations were. Gymnastics are part of that "every- thing else" category, but he still ex- celled in that area. A Morgantown, W.Va., native, Paul juggled multiple scholarship offers, but he was holding out for the one he really wanted, from legendary head coach Kurt Golder and the Wolverines, which finally came late in the process. U-M "felt like home," and he wanted to take part in all the university had to of- fer both academically and athletically, and the challenge that came with it. Paul made an impact early on in his career, competing in every meet on the still rings during his freshman campaign, including the Big Ten Finals and the NCAA Qualifier. Adversity then struck during his sophomore year. Just following the first meet of the season, in which Paul posted a career-high 13.550 on pom- mel horse against No. 1-ranked Okla- homa, he suffered an elbow injury that held him out the rest of the year. He then missed the entire 2019 season with a torn meniscus. Paul was back for the 2020 campaign, but tore his bicep late in the year, just before the rest of the slate was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the roads to recovery were long and grueling, Paul always came back for more, even though there were times he doubted he'd ever com- pete again. "It's been sort of an emotional roller coaster, because there have been sev- eral times where I've walked into the doctor's office thinking it's the end of my career," he said. But there was always a path back, and he worked hard to rehab each time. Paul is once again competing with his teammates, and will end his career on his own terms, all while being an out- standing student in the classroom. "It's definitely been a struggle com- ing back from each [injury]," Paul said. "But I feel like it sort of really defined the gymnast I am and who I am as a person, gaining the strength with each one of those comebacks." The struggles have helped build strength, and they've helped him have a deeper appreciation for the here and now. "Coming back from these injuries and having to sit out and get surgeries really has made me appreciate it more, and it really means more being out at Cliff Keen [Arena] or wherever we're compet- ing with the team," Paul said. "Treating every one of them like it could be your last makes it that much more special." A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Paul graduated last spring with a biomedical engineering degree, and is enrolled in graduate school with the same focus, planning to move on to medical school at either U-M or West Virginia in his next chapter. His time at U-M so far has shaped him for the future. "I think my experience at Michigan has changed the way that I go about things," he said, "and it'll be to my ben- efit for the rest of my life." — Clayton Sayfie Paul, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, graduated last spring with a biomedical engineering degree and plans to go to medical school. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Student-Athlete Of The Month Men's Gymnastics Fifth-Year Senior Thomas Paul