“Just enjoy the moment,” Angela Andreoli still remembers those words. The teenager was on her maiden Olympic gymnastics team final in Paris and was responsible for keeping her Italian squad afloat in the race to earn the silver medal. In the floor exercise event, she had to amass a sufficient score to continue the task. But Andreoli faced the pressure of nerves. After all, a slight misstep would have given rivals Brazil and Britain an edge. So, any help? In the meantime, her teammate came forward and dropped those words in her ears. The result? Andreoli stood tall in the situation, and Italy claimed the silver medal in the women’s gymnastics team event in the Paris Olympics, their first Olympic medal in 96 years! That’s how the motivation worked that August evening in Bercy Arena. But the story has an irony. 

The gymnast who once motivated her teenage teammate in the Olympic final has now come to the receiving end. Elisa Iorio is in a crucial period of her career, and a misstep can end her career! However, she has received her fans’ good wishes to find some light in her way. 

Olympic medalist gymnast finds herself in a complicated state 

During her time in the Paris Olympics qualification, Elisa Iorio came under the grip of injury. The vicious fangs of it limited her ability to the apparatus in the contest. Nonetheless, she decided to continue. However, after the Olympics, she went through rehab. The positive results of it surely followed her, as in December last year, her clips of gymnastics drills made it into social media. The fan felt assured of her speedy return after spotting her doing flawless landings in those clips. But the expectations hit rock bottom on January 22 this year. The 21-year-old Italian gymnast took to social media to share a heartbreaking post that day. In the post, she wrote, “The recovery was doing well, but sadly my ankle didn’t hold and during a training of a few days ago I hurt it again. But this time I need a surgery to fix it and to get better.” An injury! Again?

In her career, the gymnastics pro has had to experience a few vicious blows because of her injuries. Elisa wasn’t able to compete in the Tokyo Olympics despite being instrumental in Italy’s qualification for the women’s team gymnastics. She had endured an ankle injury in September 2020, allowing her to compete on only one apparatus, which unfortunately kept her away from Tokyo. In 2022, Elisa underwent shoulder surgery. Last year as well, the 2024 European Champion had to face the same question mark. Her injury from the Olympic qualification limited her ability. In the team final, she couldn’t compete in more apparatus. Now, the 2021 National Champion on uneven bars is taking a break to recover her body. But will Elisa be finally able to break the shackles? 

In the post, the Moderna-born penned, “To be honest I’m in a difficult moment, but I’ll try to overcome this obstacle like I’ve always done in the past. I want to take this break to recover my body, but most importantly my mind. I don’t know what my future holds for me, but I know one thing. I’m lucky to have so many people by my side who love me.” She is counting on her fans’ good wishes for a speedy recovery. Will her fans stand with her? 

Gymnastics and K-pop band fans come together to wish speedy recovery

Elisa Iorio has a tattoo on her back. It reads, “Love Yourself,” (written in Korean). Any hidden meaning? Well, Iorio is a big fan of the K-pop band, BTS. The band’s “Love Yourself” album motivated her to paint those lines on her back. In her update on X on Wednesday, she added her snap, flaunting the tattoo. Not just that, but her post also ended with a ‘purple heart,’ which is again used by the ‘BTS Army’. The BTS fans who count her a part of the Army couldn’t miss that snap and the gymnast’s words. In the comment box, that fan wrote, “Get well soon.” Meanwhile, another BTS fan noted in the comment box, “Dear Eli, Army here! You will never walk alone! Stay strong, take a break! And be happy from small things! And most importantly don’t worry, just surround yourself with positive people!” Elisa Iorio is looking forward to it. In her post, she considered herself lucky to have a positive vibe around her. 

Another BTS fan echoed the same sentiment in the comment box. He/she wrote, “Hang in there ARMY. Keep that dream alive! We are rooting for you.” For the athlete who has won Olympic medals, the aspiration is to return to her beloved sport in perfect health. She is ready to go under knives and blades for it again. But she wants to get back to her full health. Would that be possible? Someone chimed in the comment box with a reply, “Future is gonna be okay I wish you a speedy recovery.” But any other motivations? 

In the comment box, someone wrote, “Remember all the legendary people out there, they all had big struggles reaching where they are now so just keep your spirit and flame on, your body will follow.” Well, Simone Biles is there! After facing ‘twisties’ (mental vertigo) during the Tokyo Olympics, the American gymnast took two years to make her comeback. And boy! How she returned! In Paris, Simone was the oldest American woman gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title, and a break did wonders for her. We hope that Elisa Iorio could have a similar positive impact. Is she ready to jump on the wheel? What do you think?