Ariana Berlin
| Ariana Berlin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ariana Alyse Berlin October 29, 1987 San Diego, California, U.S.A |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | UCLA Bruins gymnastics team (2005-09) |
| Occupation | Former college gymnast, dancer, film actor |
| Known for | Gymnastics |
Ariana Alyse Berlin (born October 29, 1987) is an American artistic gymnast, dancer and film actor who competed for the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team from 2006 to 2009. She is known for her comeback following a car accident in 2001. Her story was dramatized in the TV movie Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie.
Thanksgiving weekend 2001, when Berlin was 14, she and her mother went on a shopping excursion in Orange County. As they drove down the freeway, they were struck by a speeding car, which was in front of them, that sent their car tumbling five or six times. Ariana spent 5 days in an induced coma with two collapsed lungs, two broken legs, a broken wrist, broken collarbone and cracked ribs. Her mother had a broken tibia, shattered scapula and minor brain trauma.
Berlin found it hard to get back into gymnastics training and decided to start breakdancing, becoming one of the youngest members of the San Diego breakdance troupe Culture Shock. She started performing at SeaWorld San Diego with the troupe, where she met the UCLA Bruins gymnastics head coach, Valorie Kondos Field, who had been choreographing the Summer Nights production. Kondos Field was impressed by Berlin's work ethic and respect for the choreographers.
After spending time with Kondos Field and being surrounded by gymnastics shows at the park, Berlin realized that her love for the sport was still there. Berlin met with Kondos Field, told her about her long-time dream to compete for UCLA, how the accident had cut short that dream and how much she wanted to return to the sport. She asked Kondos Field if she could walk on to the team if she could regain her gymnastics skills. "Without even any hesitation, simply because of her respect, her work ethic, her ability to blend in and work well with anyone, I was thrilled at the possibility of having her on the team, especially to have someone who understood performance as much as she did," Kondos Field said. "It's often difficult to get gymnasts to perform outside of their event, to really project into the audience and perform, and I thought she could be a great example to the team with that."
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