Izzy's Story

Play the accessible version of the “Regaining Balance | Izzy Stassi's Recovery” video

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Izzy Stassi is a 15 year old elite gymnast from Delaware, OH. She’s been practicing gymnastics since she was six and quickly reached the elite status at the age of 12. To her classmates, Izzy is just your average, smiley teenage girl. Most of her peers don’t know about her gymnastics status and that she’s competing with U.S. Olympic gymnasts.

Izzy made the national gymnastics team and represented her country in the 2023 Junior World Gymnastics Championships in Turkey. She was at her peak performance and training hard to work toward her goal of competing at the highest level. Six months following Worlds, Izzy casually stepped off the balance beam at practice and fractured her ankle.

Gymnastics is a sport that sees a high volume of injuries, but this time around Izzy’s injury required surgery and pins were placed in her ankle to help stabilize the joint. Izzy’s season was over, or so she thought.

Physical Therapist Mike Genco had been working with Izzy on and off for the past three years for a variety of injuries. It’s important to have a physical therapist who understands the sport and demands on the gymnast’s body. Together, Mike and Izzy worked hard throughout the healing process. In just five months, Mike helped her get to a place where she could safely compete again. This is Izzy’s story.