Auburn University senior Samantha Cerio stared intently at the purple floor exercise mat before her. The lights of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reflected off the gymnast's bedazzled white, navy and orange leotard. As her teammates cheered raucously, the 22-year-old flashed a quick smile and waltzed out to kick off her floor routine, hoping to deliver a flawless performance and help the Auburn Tigers secure a spot in the NCAA women's gymnastics region final.
But within a matter of seconds, Cerio would be on the floor in agony, her nearly two-decades-long gymnastics career brought to a jarring end by what some have called the "worst sports-related injury" they've ever seen.