In 2022, the gymnast hit a brutal career-wall with a season-ending knee injury that left her sidelined. “It was a really slow progression, learning how to walk,” she admitted, painting a picture of a grueling rehab process that tested her resolve. For a UNC senior who’d been chasing perfection, the physical grind was only half the battle—mentally, she wasn’t sure about ever flipping again. So, how does someone go from relearning to walk, to sticking a landing in front of a roaring crowd?
Meanwhile, the doubts didn’t just fade—they lingered like a stubborn heckler as Lali Dekanoidze clawed her way back. She’d come achingly close to perfection before, noting, “A 9.975 is a good score, but it was a little bit frustrating when I [kept] getting that score and not getting a 10.” That near-miss territory could’ve broken her, yet she pushed through, quietly rebuilding…
