There is nothing worse than the sound of bones crunching from a hard impact, except if the sound is coming from your own legs.
For a gymnast, your legs are everything, and Samantha Cerio felt like she lost it all during the NCAA Regional Semifinal in Baton Rouge.
The senior Auburn gymnast was attempting a handspring double front, which requires a blind landing, when she broke both her legs.
Here is Cerio's attempt at a first pass followed by the gruesome landing.
WARNING: The following video is very graphic and difficult to watch.
Auburn Gymnastics: Samantha Cerio Breaks Both Legs www.youtube.com
Her coach Jeff Graba told Nola.com he has never seen an injury as extreme as Cerio's in all his coaching career since the 1980s.
Brutal scene as Auburn Gymnast Samantha Cerio breaks both of her legs. Recovery time to be determined. You are i… https://t.co/wCZ3Rb0IwL— Chet Diggler (@Chet Diggler)1554692640.0
Another highly-publicized sport-related likely posterior knee #dislocation case in the same weekend, wow. Hope… https://t.co/qVfMiTN9ip— Random Handom, MD (@Random Handom, MD)1554728409.0
The senior from Huntersville, North Carolina clutched both her legs and screamed in agony as she sat upright on the mat.
She was carried off in a stretcher by LSU's expert medical staff after Cerio reportedly dislocated both her knees and broke both legs.
Samantha Cerio was making her first pass when she fell on the blind landing. The crowd gasped as Cerio, a senior on… https://t.co/3scScrm16d— salah alzeer (@salah alzeer)1554722090.0
@WrathfulZach @TimAndrewsHere @NicoleLynnflem2 I literally screamed when I saw the landing and had to rapidly exit… https://t.co/ZfWCKRRKZ3— Keni (@Keni)1554728918.0
Cerio – who is an aerospace engineering major and won All-SEC awards in 2017 and 2018 – received a standing ovation as she left the arena with air casts on.
Standing ovation for Auburn's Samantha Cerio as she's put on a body board and stretchered off the floor. This is… https://t.co/z4d2ldtXrQ— Amie Just (@Amie Just)1554512022.0
Graba called her a "trooper" after witnessing the horrific injury.
"It was pretty tough to watch. She's a trooper."
"The last thing she said was, 'Go help the girls.' The girls rallied around her. They're doing this for her right now."
@Mason_Spencer_ I can't even imagine the stream of consciousness going through her mind in that moment. Like how ca… https://t.co/eTIkBCnVhU— Kell (@Kell)1554681906.0
Senior Auburn gymnast Abby Milliet recalled rounding up her teammates, the Tigers, and consoling them in the wake of the incident by encouraging they all focus with a "new fire."
"'Y'all. I know we want to feel sad for Sam right now, but this is not what she would have wanted.'. Sam has put everything into this and she's going to want us to give everything. This is our new fire."
Coach Graba added:
"I gave her a hug, told her I hugged her before she left and said we'd catch back up tonight."
One user discovered she was slated to get married in two months.
@taco_kell Apparently, she is/was getting married in two months. I’m literally sick. https://t.co/s13l136UPw— Mason Spencer (@Mason Spencer)1554694203.0
@Mason_Spencer_ Omg no 😭 I thought a vendor canceling on me one day before was the end of the world. My heart just shatters for her— Kell (@Kell)1554722843.0
Twitter wished for her speedy recovery.
@Gymtertainment Oh no, poor girl. One of my faves to watch on UB. Hope she recovers well.— Flip It Reverse It (@Flip It Reverse It)1554543377.0
@WrathfulZach @TimAndrewsHere @NicoleLynnflem2 Jesus Christ that’s tough to watch. Get well soon #SamathaCerio that’s brutal 😪— Alexander ( Alec ) Gray Jr (@Alexander ( Alec ) Gray Jr)1554706868.0
@WrathfulZach @TimAndrewsHere @NicoleLynnflem2 what the...oh God. hope she will soon recover and not traumatic— dwi_bukan betmen (@dwi_bukan betmen)1554732496.0
aaaand suddenly my broken hip seems like a paper cut after watching Samantha Cerio’s gymnastics injury. I won’t lin… https://t.co/HWFuyfgk4t— Mason Spencer (@Mason Spencer)1554671910.0
The video of the Samantha Cerio injury for @AuburnGym last night is BAD. I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy.… https://t.co/uYmsofqxzO— Nick (@Nick)1554568075.0
Cerio's injury reminded everyone that these skilled athletes are some of the most extraordinary people.
That's essentially 4 major injuries in one. Gymnasts are truly the strongest human beings in both physical and mental capacity ❤️— Susie (@Susie)1554522555.0
@Gymtertainment Gymnasts are so bad ass. I could never do what they do. I hope she heals. Her recovery goes smoothly— CLO (@CLO)1554523413.0
Graba noted Cerio's well-executed pass was a little too high, contributing to her miscalculated blind landing. He encouraged the team to stay focused, reminding them that the slightest distraction could result in another injury.
Auburn's overall score was 197.075, the second highest for the Tigers all season and qualified them for the Saturday's Regional Final against LSU, Minnesota and Utah.
We, here at Comic Sands wish for Samantha's speedy recovery.
You're still our champion, Samantha!