This feature originally appeared in the 2025-26 Winter edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. 



When Abbey Scanlon arrived on campus in 2021, she had no expectations of making the California women's gymnastics starting lineup as a true freshman.

But no student-athlete ever expects to be sidelined with injury for nearly four years before ever competing. 

Scanlon suffered an injury to her ankle just one week before her anticipated collegiate debut as a freshman. After going through rehabilitation and briefly stepping away from campus to address personal issues, she returned to Berkeley as a sophomore ready to start training again. A meniscus tear during a preseason practice once again stymied her ability to compete as a sophomore, delaying her collegiate debut once more. 

Scanlon yearned to find ways to still feel like a contributor to her team without ever stepping foot on the mat. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Scanlon – like so many others – rekindled old hobbies to pass the time indoors. She rediscovered video editing, which she had briefly learned in high school, and combined her love for creative media and gymnastics by cutting edits of routines. As she once again found herself needing to pass the time when she could not train her gymnastics skills, Scanlon turned to creative video editing once more, this time producing content for Cal Athletics. 

What started as creating gymnastics edits for her teammates as well as Cal's men's gymnastics team blossomed into sharing her talents with Cal's athletic department as a whole. Scanlon began an official internship with the Bears' creative services department as a sophomore in which she got to expand her portfolio by shooting an array of sports on campus. From capturing the electricity of the California Memorial Stadium student section during The Big Game, to an explosive bicycle kick from a soccer player at Edwards Stadium, to even filming formal long-form interview features, Scanlon delved into the industry of sharing the stories and experiences of her fellow student-athletes. 

"I love shooting women's soccer. I love how aggressive the sport is, and how they play and how fast-paced it is," she said. "I love getting close-up shots of their footwork because it's just so cool." 

While the feeling of seeing her finished product glow on the suspended video board at Haas Pavilion during a volleyball match is satisfying, the true gratification for Scanlon is the connections she is building with her fellow Bears. 

"I've gotten to meet so many people, not just other athletes but also faculty and staff within Athletics," she said. "I love building connections with people, and the opportunity to create really cool content for student-athletes. When they get to see it, their faces light up – I just love making people happy."   

However, Scanlon's story at Cal does not end in the depths of an Adobe Premiere project. 

When her senior year rolled around, another preseason injury made Scanlon question her ability to continue doing gymnastics. She considered medically retiring, but ultimately concluded that being a part of the team and having the bond and unconditional support from her teammates made it all worth it to keep trying for one more semester. 

"I came to the realization that if I never competed for the Golden Bears, it's not going to be the end of the world for me," Scanlon said. "I had done so much in my time at Cal – I was content. I wanted to compete, obviously, but I also didn't need that to fulfill me or define me as a person, because, again, I had a lot of time and an opportunity to build myself outside of gymnastics."

But her team ended up needing her.

After recovering from her injury, Scanlon returned and performed exhibition balance beam routines early in her senior season. But on the day of Cal's meet at North Carolina State on February 2, 2025, she had no expectation of mounting the apparatus. A mid-meet injury to a teammate left a hole in the beam rotation, and at long last, Scanlon's name was called as the final routine of the lineup. 

Surprisingly, she experienced a wave of calmness before her first-ever competitive routine.  

"I remember getting up there and feeling so relaxed – it was just so exciting for me," Scanlon recalled. 

She performed a nearly flawless routine, scoring a 9.950 and winning the event in her debut. 

"Abbey is truly one-of-a-kind and embodies what it means to be resilient," said former teammate and current Cal assistant coach Mya Lauzon, a 19-time All-American with the Bears. "Watching her debut a 9.950 on beam after four long years of perseverance has to go down as one of the most memorable moments in competition." 

When she stuck the landing on her dismount, Scanlon had barely finished her salute to the judges before she was engulfed by her teammates, cheering and weeping with joy for her.

"I remember feeling so emotional because after witnessing her show up in the gym every single day, not only for herself but for everyone around her, no one was more deserving of that moment," Lauzon said. "She carries herself with so much grit, so getting to watch such a long-awaited routine was so special." 

After contributing to her team from behind the camera for so many years, Scanlon was finally able to contribute as a mainstay in the Bears' beam lineup for the remainder of the season. She had three routines score above a 9.900, eight go above 9.800 and collected a pair of podium finishes. 

"My journey getting to that moment was so long and everyone knew how much I went through and how much I fought to just get up there and do what I did," Scanlon said. "It's an indescribable feeling. There are times when I'll go back and watch the routine. I went through a lot, but it's made me the person I am today." 

When her senior season came to an end, Scanlon had a gut feeling she couldn't call "that's a wrap" on her time in Berkeley. She chose to return for a fifth year in 2026, continuing to pursue gymnastics, her degree and her video production internship. 

"I still have so much more in me that I want to give," Scanlon said. "It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to both pursue gymnastics and my passion for video production at Cal. I remember being so excited when a couple of my videos were first posted to the Cal Athletics Instagram, and when I saw that I thought maybe I could have a future in this."

Scanlon now strives to pursue a career in sports creative video production upon her graduation. 

"One of my long-term goals is to shoot video at the LA 28 Olympic Games. I believe it could happen," she said.

In the meantime, Scanlon plans to keep shining for the Bears on the balance beam and making magic from behind the camera.