Donna Gregory’s Extraordinary People: Cape Fear gymnast balances training, school and sacrifice

SHALLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — While many high school seniors are focused on prom, graduation and time with friends, one Cape Fear student has spent more than a decade committed to a different path.

For Lauren Anderson, gymnastics has been a central part of her life since childhood.

“I’m a competitive gymnast, and I’ve done it for 13 years of my life,” Anderson said.

That commitment requires a demanding schedule. Anderson trains about 20 hours each week at a gym in Myrtle Beach, roughly an hour from her home in Shallotte. Her days often stretch late into the evening.

“I leave at 3:30 to get to the gym at 4:30, practice for four hours, leave at 8:30 and then get home at 9:30,” she said.

The time commitment has meant sacrificing a more traditional high school experience.

“I don’t fit in with a lot of people ‘cause they’re still talking about, oh, what dress am I bringing to prom or whatever,” Anderson said. “And I’m like, which hotel do I need to stay at for my job? And it’s it’s just really different.”

To balance academics with training, Anderson enrolled in North Carolina Virtual Academy, an online public school. The flexibility has allowed her to continue training while also taking college-level classes.

But the physical demands of the sport have taken a toll.

“My body is so done,” Anderson said. “Like I have back problems already and ankle problems but I think it served well for 13 years.”

Despite injuries and long days, Anderson continued competing through her senior season.

“I had to sacrifice floor. I didn’t compete floor for a lot of the meets ‘cause of my ankle, but it is my last season so I’m like, I just, I wanna go out with feeling good how I left it,” she said.

Some of her most meaningful moments came outside of competition, including time spent traveling to and from practice with her mother.

“The thing that I’m most grateful for in this whole gymnastics journey is the time I got to spend with mom, ‘cause she had to drive me for two hours every single day after she worked,” Anderson said.

Now, Anderson is preparing for her next chapter. She is set to graduate this spring and will attend UNC Chapel Hill in the fall, where she hopes to remain involved in gymnastics as a judge.

She said the experience has taught her lessons that go beyond the sport.

“I really don’t think it’s all about how smart you are,” Anderson said. “Really just about how disciplined you are. Like if you just get up and do what you need to do, then you’re gonna excel in life.”

You can nominate someone for Donna Gregory’s Extraordinary People here. All honorees get a year of free car washes from Tommy’s Express Car Wash.

This segment honors Donna Gregory, a former WWAY anchor who died in 2024 after a battle with lung cancer.