“Kon did that [satisfied face emoji].” The X-handle of NCAA Gymnastics had a special way to celebrate Konnor McClain’s achievement on March 7. The LSU Tigers’ gymnast chose the senior night to drop her season high on the uneven bars event. Her score was 9.975, 0.025 shy of a perfect ten. Yet the NCAA Gymnastics knew that Konnor “did that” and what needed to be done. Moreover, Konnor showed how it should be done. Four years after her tragic loss, such an achievement could only earn flowers for her. NCAA Gymnastics was among those satisfied fans of hers. But what happened to her four years ago?
Four years ago, Konnor McClain’s world shattered. In 2021, she lost her father, Marc McClain—the man who had been her rock, her biggest supporter, her guiding light. His sudden passing left a hole in her heart, one that no medal or score could ever fill. She was just a teenager, a rising star in gymnastics, with dreams of Olympic glory. But grief doesn’t care about dreams. It crashes in like a storm, making even the things you love feel heavy. But amid that storm, Konnor refused to let the darkness define her.
In 2021, Konnor had someone with her advising her to take the right path. Hold on. We’ll get back to this story later. However, what was the result four years ago? The Nevada native kept training, kept pushing, and kept fighting—not just for herself but for the father who had believed in her every step of the way. And on March 7, 2024, under the bright lights of LSU’s Senior Night, she soared. Four years after her greatest heartbreak, Konnor McClain didn’t just perform—she honored her journey, her pain, and her resilience. And somewhere, somehow, her father was watching, proud as ever. But the story would’ve not reached this pinnacle if there had not been one Suni Lee.
Yes. The Tokyo Olympics women’s floor champion had been a guiding light for Konnor. In her interaction with Olympics.com in 2022, Suni admitted this part of the story. She said, “She had reached out to me and asked me how did I stay motivated when my dad had his accident? Obviously, they’re two very different things because my dad obviously didn’t pass away, but I kind of just told her, ‘Remember your ‘why’’.’
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The post Losing Father at 16, LSU Star Konnor McClain Sought Olympian Gymnast’s Help to Overcome the Brutal Tragedy in 2021 appeared first on EssentiallySports.