Season 2

Episode 14

Chae Campbell: Embracing Faith and Uniqueness in College Gymnastics

Timestamps

The start (00:00:01) Introduction and disclaimer about the views expressed in the podcast.

Competing for UCLA as a Senior (00:01:49) Chae Campbell’s experience competing for UCLA as a senior and her goals for the year.

Creating a Unique Floor Routine (00:03:12) Chae’s inspiration for her unique floor routine and the significance of the music she chose.

Resilience in Gymnastics (00:05:34) Chae discusses a specific instance of resilience in her gymnastics journey and how she refocused her goals.

Encouragement for Resilience (00:10:08) Chae shares advice for those needing to be resilient and stay focused on their goals.

Support and Resilience (00:11:37) Chae discusses the support from her mom and how it has helped her stay resilient.

Resilience in the Gymnastics Season (00:13:25) Chae talks about the challenges of being a senior and the importance of adaptability and recovery.

Future Plans and Living in Brilliance Mode (00:14:25) Chae’s future plans after graduation and her perspective on living in BrillianceMode.

Disclaimer

This podcast shall not be published, reproduced, retransmitted, in any form whatsoever, in whole or in part without the express written permission of BrillianceMode, LLC.

Resilience to Brilliance is a BrillianceMode Production.

Email us at Admin@InBrillianceMode.com

In this episode of the Resilience to Brilliance podcast, host Kim Hamilton Anthony interviews Chae Campbell, a senior UCLA gymnast. Chae discusses her college journey, her unique Black Panther-inspired floor routine, and the impact of a knee injury on her gymnastics career.

She highlights the importance of staying present, the support from her mother and faith, and her aspirations to enter the entertainment industry post-graduation. Chae defines living in “BrillianceMode” as being authentic and embracing one’s uniqueness. The episode is a testament to Chae’s resilience and her commitment to pursuing her dreams despite challenges.

About Our Guest

Chae Campbell Headshot

(The following information was curated by UCLA Gymnastics. To read further details visit: https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-gymnastics/roster/chae-campbell/13071

Career Highlights
Eight-time All-American
2021 Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year
2021 Pac-12 Floor Exercise co-champion
Seven-time All-Pac-12 honoree
First gymnast in Pac-12 history to win all four weekly awards in her career
Recorded two perfect 10s on floor exercise in 2022
Earned five career perfect scores of 9.95 on Yurchenko full vault
2023 WCGA Scholastic All-American
2016 U.S. junior vault champion

Best Marks
V – 9.950, 5x, last 3/30/23
UB – 9.900, 2x, last 4/13/23
BB – 9.925, 2x, last 4/16/21
FX – 10.00, 2x, last 3/12/22
AA – 39.725, 3/12/22

Connect with Chae:

Instagram

Twitter

The start (00:00:01) Introduction and disclaimer about the views expressed in the podcast.

Competing for UCLA as a Senior (00:01:49) Chae Campbell’s experience competing for UCLA as a senior and her goals for the year.

Creating a Unique Floor Routine (00:03:12) Chae’s inspiration for her unique floor routine and the significance of the music she chose.

Resilience in Gymnastics (00:05:34) Chae discusses a specific instance of resilience in her gymnastics journey and how she refocused her goals.

Encouragement for Resilience (00:10:08) Chae shares advice for those needing to be resilient and stay focused on their goals.

Support and Resilience (00:11:37) Chae discusses the support from her mom and how it has helped her stay resilient.

Resilience in the Gymnastics Season (00:13:25) Chae talks about the challenges of being a senior and the importance of adaptability and recovery.

Future Plans and Living in Brilliance Mode (00:14:25) Chae’s future plans after graduation and her perspective on living in BrillianceMode.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:00:01) – The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the host and guests on this podcast are their own and do not represent the views, thoughts and opinions of UCLA Athletics or UCLA gymnastics. The content of this podcast is strictly for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.

Chae Campbell (00:00:19) – So I feel like the biggest thing that I could tell someone to be resilient also is just know what’s in your heart, have that goal for yourself. And when you have that goal, no one can tell you anything different because that’s what you believe in. If you don’t believe in something, then it’s going to be easy for someone to convince you otherwise. Nothing just happens by chance. I don’t believe that again. Anyone struggling, just stay the course.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:00:47) – Welcome to the Bruins on Deck edition of the Resilience to Brilliance podcast, where you’ll be inspired by riveting behind the scenes stories from current members of UCLA gymnastics. I’m your host, Kim Hamilton Anthony. Here we go.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:01:06) – Chae Campbell came into her senior year at UCLA. A seven time All-American. Before her senior year, she had earned five perfect scores on vault and two perfect ten on floor exercise. She brings to the team character, leadership and consistency. Let’s listen in to the conversation I had with Chae about her senior year, her new floor routine, and her take on resilience. Chae, how are you?

Chae Campbell (00:01:40) – I’m doing so good. How are you?

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:01:43) – I’m pretty good. So tell me, what is it like to compete for UCLA as a senior this year? Big time.

Chae Campbell (00:01:50) – It’s so surreal. Like this whole college experience has gone by so fast. And in the span of the four years that I’ve been here, like, so much has happened, like so much growth has happened and so much opportunity, new opportunities. But it’s been an amazing journey. I’m just really enjoying this last season.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:02:08) – Nice. So do you have any particular goals that you’re focused on this year?

Chae Campbell (00:02:12) – My biggest goal is to just stay present. I’ve heard so many stories of how people in the senior year just wish that they just enjoyed every moment and like, had no regrets.

Chae Campbell (00:02:22) – So I’ve been lucky enough to like, talk to so many alumni, um, including yourself. And I just am so grateful for everyone that has taken the time to, like, mentor me and talk to me. And I really take that into heart. And I really do appreciate it, because at the end of the day, like I am living my dream of being a Bruin, and to have all these people being so willing to like, help me and like I feel the love from all the alumni, um, it really means a lot. So being present is like the biggest thing that I want to make sure that I’m doing this senior year.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:02:54) – That’s really good. I’m glad you’re feeling the love. That’s what it’s all about. We are here for you for sure. So I must bring up this floor routine that you have and of course, the music that you chose. Tell me what the significance is for you and why you chose that.

Chae Campbell (00:03:12) – Yeah, so I’ve been a marvel fan for a while, and I really wanted to make this senior year, like, really impactful.

Chae Campbell (00:03:21) – And something that I’ve always loved about the first Black Panther is the amount of love that that movie got. And like the impact that it had on so many people globally. I remember sitting in a theater and just like feeling so empowered, and I really wanted to make. I wanted to have a floor routine my senior year that had that same impact. So I love the soundtrack of it. I thought it was so cool. The Wakandan calls and everything. Like, I just wanted this one to be so unique and so different from what you see in competition. I talked to BJ about it and she she loved the idea, and so we were able to come up with this very unique and special Floor routine for my senior year. And it has been so fun to perform. I love seeing all the reactions to it, and I always love having my teammates like on the sides, like doing all the moves with me. It’s so fun.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:04:16) – It’s really fun to watch too. It’s it is. I mean, every time I hear that music and every time I think of the movie, I, too, feel this empowerment and seeing people who look like you, who are in these positions of power, is something that our culture doesn’t see all the time.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:04:37) – So this movie and this music is so symbolic for many of us. And I wanted to ask you, if you have a story that you’re telling when you’re out there.

Chae Campbell (00:04:47) – Yeah. Um, I think it’s always important for any floor routine to have some kind of story. So because it helps you get into character. Um, and so this one, I kind of look at this as going through a battle, like the whole routine is like I’m leading my team into the national championship. We’re going to war we’re going to battle. And you kind of see like throughout the throughout the routine, like in the beginning, I’m like coming out from like the, you know, like they set the scene and it’s like these like they’re in like the woods or something. And they come out from like, you know, the shadows a little bit. So that’s kind of like what that represents. And then like, you know, um, throughout the routine, you see like different moments if you’re really paying attention, like it’s just like going through like this battle and then at the end it’s just a party and celebration.

Chae Campbell (00:05:33) – (Laughter).

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:05:34) – Thank you for sharing that. And I think about the battle. I think about resilience. And I know you have a strong reputation for being resilient, and I’m sure you have a lot of stories that you could share. But is there anything in particular that stands out to you that you’d like to share with us today, in terms of you having to be resilient in your own journey?

Chae Campbell (00:05:55) – Definitely. The sport of gymnastics is a very long road, and there are so many ups and downs that come with it and they’re all great. They’re all… it’s all like character development and, you know, looking back at it now, like it’s I’m grateful for those hard times. Um, the one in particular that comes to mind is leading into my senior elite year. I was getting ready for a competition and I was doing a floor pass, and I ended up hurting my knee really bad. That took me out of, um, competition, which was a real bummer because I had these goals and I had these expectations of being a senior elite.

Chae Campbell (00:06:36) – After coming off of a successful junior elite season. And a part of me just wanted to. Prove that tall people can do elite gymnastics, because that is a huge stereotype of in the elite world. So I was really, um, I was really bummed when I hurt myself and I feel like I. Lost a sense of like who I was and like what I was going to do because I was just so focused on being an elite gymnast and being that representation for people. So I went through like a really rough patch of like not really wanting to, you know, go into the gym and not I didn’t really feel like I naturally am a hard worker, but I didn’t feel like working anymore. Like I just, uh, was kind of over it. And my coaches were like, telling me to go back to jail, like go back to level ten. And although that seemed like the the best option, I didn’t really, um. I didn’t really want to because I was like, I was like, no, like I was supposed to be an elite, so, oh, why? That moment is just being resilient is because I had to really refocus my goal.

Chae Campbell (00:07:40) – Um, I was already committed to UCLA, so I had that going for me. And I had to focus on like, okay, how can I make the best out of this situation and still be able, like, I’m not done with gymnastics, I still have a college career ahead of me, and I’m very fortunate enough to have a full ride. And I don’t want to waste that, um, because not everyone gets that opportunity. So it’s really just refocusing my goals. And I found that, like when you don’t have a goal, it’s very hard to stay in it and be motivated. I think for me that was like the biggest moment where I was like, okay. How do I make this into the best that I can to the best situation I can?

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:08:20) – That’s really good, because a lot of times when people think about resilience, they think about you have to push through to get that goal that you set out to get in the first place. Right. But what you’re saying is sometimes resilience means that you refocus, you redirect, and you allow whatever the circumstance that has taken place that has, has required you to be resilient.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:08:46) – Whatever that has done, it maybe redirects you in another way. That’s really good.

Chae Campbell (00:08:54) – Yeah, 100%. I, I mean, I believe that everything happens for a reason. And my biggest, what I want to get out of my college career is being able to inspire people who don’t believe that they can do something just because they don’t fit the norm.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:09:10) – And that goes into your your height as a gymnast. Yes, even that goes yes.

Chae Campbell (00:09:15) – Yes, 100%. Um, when I realized that that’s like the core of why I’m doing this, maybe that’s not at the elite stage, but now I’m at UCLA and I’m still able to do that, hopefully. Like, I hope that I’m able to inspire those people that, like, you can do anything. I’m still swinging bars as a 5’ 7” gymnast like it is possible to do.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:09:36) – Now. You know you’re talking to a 5’ 7” former gymnast, right?

Chae Campbel (00:09:38) Yes, yes. So I so you get it,

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:09:41) I get it, I get it, I get it Chae.

Chae Campbell (00:09:44) – Yes.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:09:46) – I do. So think about your journey of resilience. And perhaps someone is listening and they are going through something maybe similar, maybe not so similar, but for whatever reason they need to be resilient in order to reach their goal or to be redirected towards something new. What is something you can say to them to encourage them on their journey?

Chae Campbell (00:10:07) – The biggest thing that I would say is that for anyone that’s going through like a hard time, know what’s in your heart and know what you want out of whatever you’re going through. Um, I’ll relate it to gymnastics because that’s just what I know. But knowing, like, I want to go to UCLA having that like, determination that I will be going to UCLA is the reason why I’m at UCLA, because no one could tell me anything different. No one could tell me anything. I was not the best gymnast starting off like I. I was just not great. But I was like, no, I will. And everyone, you know, I’ve heard people tell me like, you know, they only hire they only get these like top gymnasts da da da.

Chae Campbell (00:10:54) – I was like, okay, well I will get there. Like I’m going to get there. And so I feel like the biggest thing that I could tell someone to be resilient also is just know what’s in your heart, have that goal for yourself. And when you have that goal, no one can tell you anything different because that’s what you believe in. If you don’t believe in something, then it’s going to be easy for someone to convince you otherwise. Nothing just happens by chance. I don’t believe that again. Anyone struggling, just stay the course now. It’s worth it.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:11:22) – Yes, I agree it is absolutely worth it. And you mentioned that you have to believe…yourself. Has there ever been a time when maybe you didn’t believe in yourself, but someone else believed in you enough so that you could keep going?

Chae Campbell (00:11:37) – I mean, my mom, biggest supporter. Mom. Um. There have been times where I’ve doubted myself. Um. For sure. It could be something little like school. Um, it could be because, I mean, I’ll be honest, I struggled in school when I was little because, you know, A.D.D. over here, and I didn’t know it at the time.

Chae Campbell (00:11:59) – So it’s my mom always encouraged me through faith. And we come from a Christian family. And so. God has really helped us a lot like throughout my journey. And I feel like for me, having that constant has been the reason why I’m still doing this. Um, and why I’m able to still do this. There’s been plenty of times where I could, I could have just easily like giving up. But to believe in, to believe in something. And for me, that is my faith. Like to believe in that. Um, it’s giving me so much hope and courage and been it’s been a huge part of my journey. So I don’t know if that answered your question, but yes.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:12:41) – No, you did answer my question. Okay. Like, no you did. I appreciate that because I just wonder because sometimes we think we have to go it alone, but then we have these people around us. For you, it was your mom and it could have been other people. For some it’ll be there, coaches for some will be.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:12:58) – It’ll be friends or other family members. I like to think about resilience in terms of it being kind of like teamwork in a sense, because it’s hard to go it alone. And I thought it was just so important when you said, um, to believe in yourself. But for us to talk about who can help us to do that.

Chae Campbell (00:13:16) – Yeah, that definitely it looks different for everyone for different situations.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:13:20) – But so what does being resilient look like for you this gymnastics season.

Chae Campbell (00:13:24) – We’re a few meets in and being a senior, you start to feel that you’re a senior.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:13:31) – And what does that feel like?

Chae Campbell (00:13:33) – It feels.

Chae Campbell (00:13:34) – Everything is just I don’t want to say that everything just like hurts more like.

Kim Hamilton Anthonyl (00:13:40) – I get it.

Chae Campbell (00:13:42) – Oh. Being resilient to me is like, honestly, like, I, I’m someone who will just go, go, go. And I just, I need to learn that I am not freshman Chae anymore. And I have to learn like recovery, like a recovery is a big part.

Chae Campbell (00:14:00) – And like, maybe I don’t have to do all the numbers, um, just like depending on my body. But like, this season is just, I don’t know, like, even as a senior, I’m still learning things, being adaptable to, um, anything, any situation. And I’ve always been there for my team.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:14:17) – Um, before we close out with the final question, I must ask you what your plans are as a senior after you graduate.

Chae Campbell (00:14:25) – The future is so uncertain, but I know that, like long term, I would love to be in the entertainment industry and to like, be in films and work in that industry. I don’t know, like short term, what what’s going to happen, what that look like. But I do know that everything will work out just how it’s supposed to. Um, and I’m really excited just because, like. It’s like a bittersweet, like you’re moving on from something that’s been a part of your life forever. But also I get to open up a new chapter and like, get new experiences.

Chae Campbell (00:14:57) – And I feel like I can take so much from what I’ve done in my gymnastics career and take that to the real world.

Chae Campbell (00:15:03) – So for sure.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:15:04) – Final question, Shay, what does living in BrillianceMode look like for you?

Chae Campbell (00:15:09) – Living in BrillianceMode, to me, I believe is being yourself. But like not letting anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. There’s so much like uniqueness to the world and so many different personalities. Um, and I think that that’s a beautiful thing. And that’s how we were made, um, to be different from each other. And so being being in BrillianceMode is just being true to yourself and not wavering in who you are. Walk in your purpose. Stand firm in who you are. That to me is brilliance mode.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:15:47) – That was really good. Thank you…

Chae Campbell (00:15:48) Thank you,

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:15:49) and thank you for taking the time to be here today as you head off to another meet and, uh, wish you all the best this year as a senior and beyond, of course.

Chae Campbell (00:16:03) – Thank you so much, Kim.

Kim Hamilton Anthony (00:16:11) – Thanks for listening. If you want to learn more about Chae Campbell, check out our show notes on InBrillianceMode.com/Podcast, and to connect with UCLA Gymnastics on Instagram. Follow them @UclaGymnastics.

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