By Kimberlie Haner, Sun Devil Athletics Assistant Director of Media Relations
TEMPE, Ariz. – Anne Kuhm's journey to Arizona State started in France and included two trips to the Olympics, all leading up to her senior season. With her final season ahead of her, Kuhm took the time to reflect on how her experiences shaped her to be the strong competitor she is today for the Gym Devils.
Like most of her teammates, Kuhm's gymnastics career started young. Before finding the right fit, she wanted to join her friend doing rhythmic gymnastics.
"I tried it, but I didn't really like it," Kuhm said. "But the coach also had a normal gymnastics group and asked me if I wanted to try. So, I tried it and I liked it. I just kept going after that."
As her skills continued to grow, so did her passion for the sport. She was a strong gymnast, but she constantly found herself finishing third-place. This is sparked a fire in Kuhm.
"I wanted to be first," Kuhm said. "All of the girls who were finishing ahead of me were in the training center, so I wanted to do the same. I wanted to get better. That's when I decided to keep going and why I chose to train for 30 hours every week."
After her turning point, Kuhm's hard work paid off. She earned her a spot on the French national team in 2009 when she was 13 years old. Eventually, her determination put her on the roster for the 2012 Olympics in London. Though young, she had a great experience despite the stress of the biggest stage for gymnasts.
"I was really young and had no idea what to expect," Kuhm said. "I was extremely stressed. We were at the Olympics, which is the dream of every athlete. I fell on beam, but I'm still happy with what I did because I went. Not very many people get to do that."
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kuhm once again traveled with the French national team, but this time she was an alternate. Though she did not compete, she loved her time in Rio.
"I was older, more mature and knew what to expect," Kuhm said. "I enjoyed it more even though I did not compete. I cheered on the girls and had a lot of good experiences."
Her time at the Olympics in 2016 taught her a valuable lesson. Competing and doing well is fun, but there is more to gymnastics and the Olympics than winning.
"The most important thing is to enjoy it," Kuhm said. "Because if you don't enjoy it, it's not worth it. In 2012, it wasn't as fun because I was stressed. But in 2016, I enjoyed being with the team more, so it was a better experience for me."
With international experience under her belt, Kuhm still wanted to push herself to be better. She wanted a new challenge while continuing gymnastics. Her childhood coach had moved to the United States and suggested college gymnastics to Kuhm.
"I wanted to experience something new and wanted to improve my English," Kuhm said. "I wasn't sure about college gymnastics at first, but I decided to try to see if it would work or not."
Eventually, she emailed Arizona State head coach Jay Santos and associate head coach Jessica Santos. She came to Tempe for a visit and was thoroughly impressed. She loved the people, the area and the opportunities for an international student like her.
"I was looking at a lot of schools, but ASU stood out to me," Kuhm said. "I really liked the team, the girls, the coaches and the environment. Also, ASU is a top university for international students. I felt like it would be good for me because the school would understand that it's not always easy to not be American."
Approaching her final season, Kuhm continues to grow. In 2018, she earned 9.900s on vault and bars. Her best score came on floor where she scored a 9.925. She will continue to compete in the all-around in 2019.
Kuhm keeps the lessons she learned from the Olympics close to her heart. When trying to pick a favorite moment from last season, she kept looking back at the time spent with her teammates.
"We are a really good group and everyone gets along with each other," Kuhm said. "It's so different because before I came here, gymnastics was more of an individual sport for me. Now it's all about the team. I like it better. We support each other."
Kuhm will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies. In the fall, she will attend graduate school in France to get a master's in hospitality.
TEMPE, Ariz. – Anne Kuhm's journey to Arizona State started in France and included two trips to the Olympics, all leading up to her senior season. With her final season ahead of her, Kuhm took the time to reflect on how her experiences shaped her to be the strong competitor she is today for the Gym Devils.
Like most of her teammates, Kuhm's gymnastics career started young. Before finding the right fit, she wanted to join her friend doing rhythmic gymnastics.
"I tried it, but I didn't really like it," Kuhm said. "But the coach also had a normal gymnastics group and asked me if I wanted to try. So, I tried it and I liked it. I just kept going after that."
As her skills continued to grow, so did her passion for the sport. She was a strong gymnast, but she constantly found herself finishing third-place. This is sparked a fire in Kuhm.
"I wanted to be first," Kuhm said. "All of the girls who were finishing ahead of me were in the training center, so I wanted to do the same. I wanted to get better. That's when I decided to keep going and why I chose to train for 30 hours every week."
After her turning point, Kuhm's hard work paid off. She earned her a spot on the French national team in 2009 when she was 13 years old. Eventually, her determination put her on the roster for the 2012 Olympics in London. Though young, she had a great experience despite the stress of the biggest stage for gymnasts.
"I was really young and had no idea what to expect," Kuhm said. "I was extremely stressed. We were at the Olympics, which is the dream of every athlete. I fell on beam, but I'm still happy with what I did because I went. Not very many people get to do that."
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kuhm once again traveled with the French national team, but this time she was an alternate. Though she did not compete, she loved her time in Rio.
"I was older, more mature and knew what to expect," Kuhm said. "I enjoyed it more even though I did not compete. I cheered on the girls and had a lot of good experiences."
Her time at the Olympics in 2016 taught her a valuable lesson. Competing and doing well is fun, but there is more to gymnastics and the Olympics than winning.
"The most important thing is to enjoy it," Kuhm said. "Because if you don't enjoy it, it's not worth it. In 2012, it wasn't as fun because I was stressed. But in 2016, I enjoyed being with the team more, so it was a better experience for me."
With international experience under her belt, Kuhm still wanted to push herself to be better. She wanted a new challenge while continuing gymnastics. Her childhood coach had moved to the United States and suggested college gymnastics to Kuhm.
"I wanted to experience something new and wanted to improve my English," Kuhm said. "I wasn't sure about college gymnastics at first, but I decided to try to see if it would work or not."
Eventually, she emailed Arizona State head coach Jay Santos and associate head coach Jessica Santos. She came to Tempe for a visit and was thoroughly impressed. She loved the people, the area and the opportunities for an international student like her.
"I was looking at a lot of schools, but ASU stood out to me," Kuhm said. "I really liked the team, the girls, the coaches and the environment. Also, ASU is a top university for international students. I felt like it would be good for me because the school would understand that it's not always easy to not be American."
Approaching her final season, Kuhm continues to grow. In 2018, she earned 9.900s on vault and bars. Her best score came on floor where she scored a 9.925. She will continue to compete in the all-around in 2019.
Kuhm keeps the lessons she learned from the Olympics close to her heart. When trying to pick a favorite moment from last season, she kept looking back at the time spent with her teammates.
"We are a really good group and everyone gets along with each other," Kuhm said. "It's so different because before I came here, gymnastics was more of an individual sport for me. Now it's all about the team. I like it better. We support each other."
Kuhm will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies. In the fall, she will attend graduate school in France to get a master's in hospitality.