The Red Life with Tricia Woo

By Keith Zimmer
Associate Athletic Director

 

Nebraska All-American Tricia Woo knew at an early age that she had a special gift for gymnastics.

 

“When I was about three years old my parents were always telling me to stop jumping on the couch and furniture," the Milpitas, Calif., native said.  "By the time I was seven years old, I was putting in between 20 and 40 hours per week practicing gymnastics. I kept advancing in all levels and was getting good feedback that I had college ability.”

 

When it came to evaluating colleges, Woo and her family were keenly interested in finding a program committed to total person development. Woo narrowed her top schools to Nebraska, Cal-Berkley and Florida.  All schools enjoyed excellent reputations and came highly recommended by Woo's club coach, Diane Amos.  Woo was intent on attending a school that had a rich tradition and competed consistently at nationals.  In the end, Nebraska won out in large part because of facilities, comfort with all staff, and quality of student-athletes. 

 

“My parents have always said that education is forever and will take you very far in life,” Woo said. “I just felt like no matter what might happen in college, Nebraska would take care of you forever and be committed to you for the long haul.” 

 

Although Woo spent many hours contemplating her decision to find the right college fit for her, she knew it would take more time to adjust to a change in lifestyle after moving from her home in California to Nebraska.

 

“I struggled well into my sophomore year to adapt to the culture and feel completely comfortable,” Woo said.  “The pace of lifestyle was much different, and I had to learn to focus on the tasks at hand, which truly were gymnastics and school.” 

 

While Woo's road from California to Nebraska may seem like a long one, it is relatively short compared to the journey her own parents made to pursue their dreams.

 

Woo's parents, Eric and Audrey, were raised in Hong Kong before moving to California. Her parents met while students at San JoseStateUniversity where both studied engineering.  Eric is now a mechanical engineer, while Audrey is an electrical engineer.  Tricia's older brother, Fred, is also an engineer living in San Diego, while her older sister, Erin, is studying art design at the UC-Davis. 

 

While Tricia is the only member of her family to pursue athletics in college, she is also pursuing her own area of academic interest. As a nutrition science major, Woo is slated to graduate in December 2009 and plans to attend physical therapy school after earning her undergraduate degree. 

 

“I'm committed to the helping profession, as I saw first-hand the impact that a physical therapist can have during difficult times," Woo said.  "Being personable with the ability to connect is huge and plays to my strengths.”

 

Woo got her own taste of physical therapy when she suffered a serious shoulder injury in high school during her senior year, which kept her from practicing in the gym. To stay activate, Woo chose to swim the 50-meter freestyle and compete in diving. 

 

“I found swimming and diving to be very enjoyable," Woo said. "It was definitely different adjusting to landing on your hands when entering the pool as opposed to always landing on your feet in gymnastics.”

 

Woo's absence from the gym during rehabilitation also helped her pursue and develop her own leadership qualities outside of competition.  Woo was active in her high school Chinese Club taking a role in planning the Lunar New Year Show.  She also was involved in numerous cultural awareness initiatives to educate her classmates regarding various cultures.

 

She has continued her involvement at the University of Nebraska, where she serves as the Multi-Cultural Representative on the prestigious Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She has also attended a regional NCAA Life Skills meeting in Dallas.  

 

Entering her junior year as one of the top returning gymnasts for the Huskers, Woo and her teammates have their sights set on another trip to the NCAA Super Six Finals in 2008. She hopes that her expanding leadership skills both inside and outside of the gym can help the Huskers throughout the rest of her gymnastics, and as she pursues excellence the rest of her life.

 

“I'm driven daily to make the most of every opportunity, strive for excellence and be a positive role-model," Woo said. "I try to lead by example and be a role-model both in and outside of the gym.”