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OLYMPICS IN PARIS. THE US GYMNASTICS TRIALS BEGIN THIS WEEKEND, BUT ONE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GYMNAST HAS ALREADY PUNCHED HER TICKET TO PARIS. LUISA BLANCO WILL REPRESENT TEAM COLOMBIA AT THE GAMES, AND THE TIDE STAR BROKE RECORDS AT THE CAPSTONE. AND NOW SHE’S PREPARING TO MAKE HER MARK AT THE SUMMER GAMES. �������� 13 SARAH KILLIAN SAT DOWN WITH BLANCO TO TALK ABOUT HER PATH TO PARIS. BORN AND RAISED IN THE UNITED STATES, LUISA BLANCO GREW UP IN DALLAS, TEXAS, BUT SHE NEVER FORGOT HER ROOTS. I’M COLOMBIAN AMERICAN. I WAS BORN HERE IN THE STATES, BUT MY ENTIRE FAMILY IS FROM COLOMBIA. I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT AT HOME I WAS FULLY COLOMBIAN. I SPOKE SPANISH, UM, ALL THE CULTURE WAS THERE. MY PARENTS DID A REALLY GREAT JOB OF INSTILLING THAT PRIDE IN ME. IN FACT, IT WAS HER COLOMBIAN HERITAGE THAT INSPIRED HER FIRST SPORT. NO, IT WASN’T GYMNASTICS, BUT SOCCER. GYMNASTICS WAS JUST BECAUSE SOCCER SEASON WAS OVER. ONE THING LED TO THE NEXT AND IT IT BECAME A PART OF MY EVERYDAY LIFE. AND THEN IT BECAME KIND OF LIKE A JOB. I WAS IN THE GYM 36 HOURS A WEEK. AT ONE POINT IT WAS THAT COMMITMENT IN THE GYM THAT LED HER TO TUSCALOOSA STARTED THE RECRUITING PROCESS. ALABAMA GOT INTERESTED IN ME AND IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I’VE EVER MADE, AND A GREAT DECISION FOR ALABAMA. LUISA BLANCO HAS BEEN A STAR ON THE GYMNASTICS MAT, EARNING MULTIPLE ALL SEC AND ALL-AMERICAN HONORS. SHE EVEN WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE BALANCE BEAM. GYMNASTICS HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I FEEL GOD HAS REALLY BLESSED ME WITH. HE’S GIVEN ME THE TALENT TO DO THAT, AND THIS IS JUST A WAY FOR ME TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW OFF THOSE TALENTS. LUISA HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS RIGHT HERE IN THIS GYM DURING HER TIME IN TUSCALOOSA. SHE’S LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT WILL HELP PREPARE HER FOR PARIS. BUT SHE SAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH GYMNASTICS. I THINK IT WAS MORE OF DOING THE SELF-WORK AND NOT BEING SO HARD ON MYSELF, LETTING GO OF EXPECTATION AND REALLY BEING TRULY IN THE MOMENT AND DETACHING FROM ANY SCORE THAT A JUDGE MIGHT FLASH AFTER A GREAT ROUTINE. LUISA EARNED HER FINAL SCORE AS AN ALABAMA GYMNAST BACK IN APRIL. NOW SHE’S TURNING HER ATTENTION TO BIGGER GOALS, GOALS, GOALS THAT ARE TAKING HER BACK TO HER COLOMBIAN ROOTS. AFTER RECEIVING DUAL CITIZENSHIP, LUISA EARNED A SPOT ON THE COLOMBIA NATIONAL GYMNASTICS TEAM LAST YEAR. SHE EXCELLED IN THE PAN AMERICAN GAMES AND WILL NOW REPRESENT HER PARENTS HOME COUNTRY IN THE 2024 OLYMPICS. I HONESTLY BLACKED OUT IN THE MOMENT. I WAS LIKE, NO WAY. LIKE I GOT THE SCORE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. AND HONESTLY, I THINK I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT. IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. I DON’T THINK I’LL BELIEVE IT TILL I’M ON THE PLANE. ACTUALLY HEADING TO PARIS WHEN LUISA LANDS IN PARIS, SHE’LL BE DECKED OUT IN YELLOW, BLUE AND RED, PROUDLY REPRESENTING COLOMBIA, BUT THAT ALABAMA CRIMSON WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT. I THINK EVERYBODY SAYS IT WHEN THEY LEAVE. THAT THEY BLEED CRIMSON. AND I’M NO DIFFERENT. UM. I’M SO THANKFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT I’VE BUILT HERE. MY FRIENDS. AND YOU KNOW, ALABAMA WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF ME, EVEN THOUGH I’M. I’M COLOMBIAN, I’M AMERICAN. I CONSIDER MYSELF, YOU KNOW, A PART OF THIS ALABAMA FAMILY. AND I’M SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THEM. UM, ON THE BIG STAGE. AND THERE’S NO BIGGER STAGE THAN THE OLYMPIC GAMES ON THE ROAD TO PARIS. SARAH KILLIAN. LUISA WILL BE THE SIXTH UNIVERSITY O