Retirement to most athletes means rest, a lot of reflection, and perhaps a bit of nostalgia. To one former NCAA gymnast star, it came in the form of hospital lights, lengthy recoveries, and metal screws. Even two years after quitting competition, Hannah Oliveros has finally come to a moment she had been waiting to have: to walk out of surgery without the hardware that had held her pelvis stable.

Oliveros was the kind of athlete coaches dream of signing. She had power, discipline, and the presence of someone born to perform. In 2021, she was honored as Big Ten Freshman of the Week after her debut for the Buckeyes against Michigan. But at the height of her momentum, her body was hiding a deeper struggle.

Undiagnosed hip instability had been eroding her performance, and by the time doctors discovered the issue, the damage was done. Surgeons recommended Periacetabular Osteotomy, a major procedure that repositions the hip socket and secures it with long metal screws. Once the hip has fully healed and fused, which can take 1-2 years, the screws are often no longer needed.

But Oliveros’ medical journey was far longer than she ever expected. Between January 2024 and December 2025, she went through four surgeries, including three in a single year.

As she explained, “Screws are out. I am finally done. Over the past two years, I’ve had my hip broken in 4 places, rotated, screws inserted, labrum repaired, and screws removed… all to relearn how to walk & do it all over again on the other side. I’ve been in and out of physical therapy relearning how to bend my leg, drive, and go up 3 flights of stairs (bc why would a college apartment have an elevator).”

 “What a privilege it is to be able to move your body — it is something I will never take for granted again!!.” Even on the Planet of Gymnastics (her page), Oliveros shared her journey with a photo of her in a hospital bed and another image showing the screws that once held her pelvis together. They measured nearly four centimeters, a size that surprised many who saw them.

As this gymnast captioned, “…PAO & labrum repair on both hips + screw removals was not how I planned senior year of college and the year after to go, but I am so grateful for everything that’s come out of it. My screws are as long as the width of a beam!” Seeing them outside her body for the first time felt like she was closing a chapter she never expected to write.

For Hannah Oliveros, the final surgery marked more than pain relief. It marked the end of two demanding years spent rebuilding her patience and her confidence.

Now that she moves forward without metal holding her together, does that mean she’s returning to the gymnastics mat? Not for now.

When the gymnast’s mat was no longer an option, Hannah found a new way to shine

By 14, Oliveros‘ gymnastics talent had caught the attention of Division I programs across the country. And by 15, she committed to Ohio State, believing her future was bright and steady. Her first meeting confirmed it. She delivered a 9.900 on beam, won the event, and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. It looked like the beginning of a long, successful college career. Then, only ten days later, she tore her Achilles.

But she tried to stay close to the sport she loved, turning to digital media and content creation as a way to remain part of the team. Surprisingly, she enjoyed it, which led her to assist in the creation of the Ohio State Athletics TikTok account and later become an intern at NBC Sports.

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However, right when she was creating a new version of herself, doctors struck her another blow.

She needed six surgeries on both hips. And that reality forced her to medically retire in 2023. She still remembers the feeling of everything going still. That’s when all of my plans just stopped…I knew what I was going to do for the past six years, and suddenly I didn’t.” She knew one thing – she would be graduating soon, and like all graduates, she would need to get started on a career.

Toward the end of 2023, she took a small, brave step. She opened an Instagram page called Planet of Gymnastics, a place where her growing skill in digital media could collide with the sport she loved. At first, she hid behind the screen, too nervous to reveal she was the one running it. She made herself a deal: she would only reveal her identity if the page ever hit 100,000 followers.

She didn’t have to wait long. In the first month, she reached 10,000. In less than three months, she crossed 100,000. And by December 2025, the number had climbed to more than 354,000 followers. For Hannah Oliveros, the dream she imagined ended sooner than she wished. But the path she stepped onto instead was something no injury could ever take away.