Jan. 29, 2007

By: Robin Martin -

Every reporter who schedules an interview with Auburn gymnast Julie Dwyer is probably shocked when the two-time All-American walks through the door. She doesn't walk with a swagger, the word egotistical doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary and she certainly doesn't wear her accomplishments on her sleeve, although if you put them on a balance scale, they'd probably outweigh her.

 Honestly, it's surprising.

 The junior is ranked first and fourth in the country in two different events. She's the Tiki Barber of college gymnastics, but you'd never know it. "Humble" is written in bold italics all over her face, down her arms and across her back. She's covered in it. Somebody forgot to tell this girl, "Hey Julie, you're really, really good."

 But hey, it's working...even if she has to hang out behind the big curtain (more on that later).

 Dwyer, the highly-touted recruit out of Bloomington, Ind., came to Auburn with an impressive repertoire. After suffering a severely broken arm that kept her out of competition for two years, Dwyer rebounded stronger than ever in a "Rookie of the Year-esque" comeback.

 "It was pretty bad," Dwyer said of her injury, "but this is the only sport I've ever done and I never thought about quitting. I don't know how, but for some reason, I came back and did better than before."

 The former US National Team member came to the Auburn a two-time Indiana State Champion, the 2002 all-around champion at the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships and the 2004 National Champion on beam.

 She continues to impress.

 In only her junior season, Dwyer has made a name for herself on the Plains racking up impressive scores every week and continually setting the bar. She earned second team All-American honors her freshman season for her vault performance and her sophomore season for beam. She collected SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2005, and in 2006, she became the second Auburn gymnast to earn SEC Gymnast of the Year. She also earned a spot to compete in the NCAA National Championships both years.

The list goes on, but you get the point.

It's obvious that gymnasts are a different breed, and Dwyer is no exception. It takes an extraordinary kind of person to be successful at such a pressurized, mentally challenging sport, but they're out there.

 "You have to want it," Dwyer said. "You just really have to desire it because it's such a frustrating sport."

 Regardless of the pressure and the fact that she actually does flips on a four-inch wide beam, Dwyer makes it look easy. The awards haven't stopped pouring in since her debut, but the remarkably modest athlete will be the first to tell you that she struggles with her own demons.

 Now, more on that curtain thing...

 If you get a chance to go to a gymnastics meet and you're looking around for Julie Dwyer, you probably won't find her. While her teammates are competing, Dwyer tends to disappear behind the curtains as she waits her turn.

 "It's something I really need to work on," Dwyer said. "I get very, very nervous at meets and I feel like I get more nervous watching than I do competing, so I just try to separate myself from all the action. Sometimes I get too much adrenaline going and that's when I mess up."

 Even the best athletes get butterflies, but Dwyer is the rare athlete who is disciplined enough to channel her nervous energy in the right direction. And just because she doesn't hang out on the floor and watch her teammates, Dwyer is the ultimate team player.

 Like most gymnasts, Dwyer had never been part of a team prior to competing for Auburn. It was all individual. When she qualified for the NCAA Championships her freshman and sophomore seasons, she realized what a difference it makes when her teammates are behind her.

 "I came here because I fell in love with this place and with the girls," Dwyer said. "It's all about the team. I've done everything I want to do individually. Nationals was a great experience, but it's just not the same without my team."

 So far this season, Dwyer has helped her team climb to No. 10 in the country. Individually, she began the 2007 season 3-for-3 in all-around and beam titles and broke her own school record against Kentucky on January 19 with an all-around score of 39.625. She also broke her own career records on vault and beam.

 Apparently it's easy to break records after missing a week of practice because you're sick.

 Dwyer brings incredible athletic talent to her team. That's obvious. But something equally impressive is the character she brings to the table, a rarity for an athlete of her caliber. Her junior year is already looking like another trip to the NCAA Championships...even if she needs to chill behind the curtain.