A gymnast who broke both her legs during a competition has urged people to stop sharing footage of her ordeal, insisting her pain was not to be used as a source of entertainment.
Samantha Cerio suffered a series of horrific injuries last week, when she landed at an awkward angle on the mat and fell to the ground during the NCAA Regional Semifinal competition in Louisiana.
The incident was caught on camera and immediately went viral on Twitter, where users were obviously not put off by the graphic footage. Cerio, however, has lashed out at people sharing the video of her injury.
"I am asking you to please stop," the Auburn University senior posted on her Twitter account earlier this week. "Going through the pain and seeing my knees bent unnaturally in real life was horrible enough, but to continue to see it from videos/pictures because some people feel entitled to repost it is not okay."
She said sharing footage of the incident was also an unnecessary trauma for her family and friends. "I have family, friends, and teammates who do not need to see me getting injured over and over again," Cerio said on Twitter. "My pain is not your entertainment."
Cerio was trying to execute a handspring double front but the awkward landing resulted in her dislocating both knees and tearing multiple ligaments.
Just days after her horrific injury, she decided to leave the sport, communicating her decision via a post on Instagram.
"After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind," she wrote. "I couldn't be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become."
On Monday night, Cerio received a get-well-soon message from one of Auburn's most famous alumni. Speaking on CBS after the NCAA Tournament final, Charles Barkley wished the gymnast a speedy recovery.
Sir Charles with his own “One Shining Moment.” Thanks for thinking of our girl, @sam_cerio! #WarEagle | #StickItForSam pic.twitter.com/svpAMxjnNp
— Auburn Gymnastics (@AuburnGym) April 9, 2019
"There's a young lady at Auburn University, who broke her leg in a gymnastic contest the other day," Barkley said during the postgame of Virginia vs Texas Tech.
"I want to give her my love and say, 'War Eagle.' I saw your devastating leg injury. You graduate from Auburn. We love you. We're proud of you. War Eagle."
Cerio underwent a two-and-a-half hour surgery earlier this week and doctors are confident she will make a full recovery.
The Auburn senior is due to get married in two months and her coach, Jeff Graba, told NBC's Today that he was confident she would be walking down the aisle. "She's a trouper. She's one of the strongest people I've ever met. I knew that beforehand and she's just confirmed it. She'll get through this."
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Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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