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Caitlin Brown overcomes mental barriers to reach physical success

“Caitlin Brown is the face of ISU gymnastics. She wasn’t just one person. She was the team.”

In tears, she struggled to approach the apparatus she had conquered numerous times before. Her mind had rendered her powerless.

A frustrated, yet determined Bryon Hough urged her to continue practicing — recognizing that time was running too short for any sort of hiatus. It was the summer before Brown was set to leave for Ames.

“I can’t do it,” Brown said.

She knew perhaps more than anyone the importance of perfecting her abilities in preparation for Division I gymnastics.