Shining Bright: Chloe LaCoursiere Is Grateful For Every Moment

In December, Inside Gymnastics had the opportunity to spend 24 hours at the University of Alabama. We were treated like recruits and even had our own athlete hosts. One of our hosts was junior Chloe LaCoursiere. LaCoursiere’s fun and vibrant personality immediately struck me. The upperclassmen is one of the main leaders for the Crimson Tide, and the love she has for her team was evident throughout the entire day. 

“I’m excited to go out to Coleman and every other arena and show everyone why we are special,” LaCoursiere said. “I’m super excited about getting the opportunity to do what I love for another year.”

The California native never expected to move her life across the country for college. She initially visited schools closer to her home, but when the opportunity to visit Alabama presented itself she had to make a decision. Would she skip her high school homecoming to visit Tuscaloosa? Would it be a night of sparkly dresses, or four years of sparkly leotards? She chose the ladder. 

“I just got the opportunity to come on campus and feel what the culture is like, what the bamaly is like, and what it really means to be a part of it.” LaCoursiere calls taking the recruiting trip the best decision of her life.

LaCoursiere was a talented level 10 gymnast prior to her time in college. An athlete bound to be an NCAA star. The Alabama coaching staff has helped bring out her best gymnastics. When she first arrived on campus she told head coach Ashley Johnston, “I can’t do beam.” But Johnston saw the potential and worked to make her confident on beam. The staff had to find unique ways to distract her before her beam routine. Sometimes you may find Johnston pretending to be a giraffe or an elephant or playing a game with LaCoursiere. 

“It’s just so special that they see that that works for me, and they don’t shy away from that, because I do my best gymnastics when having fun,” LaCoursiere said. 

These techniques are working. LaCoursiere made her beam debut in 2025 and competed in every beam lineup. In 2026, she upped her career high to a 9.925. What stands out most to LaCoursiere is the support the staff provides her outside of the gym. Whether it is asking her about school, or about her path to becoming a doctor, they always see her and every athlete as more than a gymnast. 

“The support in the gym is great, but it’s the support for me as a person, and the support for me in the future is what really stands out to me,” she said. 

LaCoursiere has been known for her incredible skills on uneven bars. In 2025 she earned a career high of 9.950 twice, and as a club gymnast posted training videos of some of the most challenging skills in the Code of Points. However, over the summer she had a surprising mental block where she could hardly perform any skills, even a simple toe hand. 

“I couldn’t do toe hands,” she said. “I couldn’t do Maloney’s, like everything terrified me, which was so weird, because that’s my best event.”

With the help of assistant coach, Ross Thompson, they changed her technique to find her confidence, as well as fix some of her built in deductions she has in her cast handstands. 

 “I learned a lot about myself and about what I was capable of overcoming through that, so I wouldn’t change that for the world.” Now, Lacoursiere is thriving on bars, she has earned a 9.975 four times this year, and we have a feeling that a perfect 10.0 is right around the corner. 

Whether she was showing me around the campus, or practicing with her team, that signature smile never left LaCoursiere’s face. Her joyfulness translates directly to the competition floor when competing with her team. No matter the hardship she faces, she always comes out on the other side with a fresh perspective and is beyond grateful to have the life she lives. 

LaCoursiere and the Alabama Crimson Tide will meet up with Utah, Oregon State, and Denver in the Corvallis Regional – Session 1 on Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+

See our Regionals Preview Here!

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