'It feels like flying': Young Santee gymnast says she won't be defined by disability

Gravity knows no bounds for 9-year-old gymnast Teagan McNeil.

“It feels like flying,” said Teagan. “You can actually fly.”

“I like bars, it’s my favorite,” she said. ‘I like doing new skills on it and higher stuff, but sometimes I chicken out.”

Fearless in her practice, her journey to the podium was unlike any other. 

“She was born with Congenital Short Femur, a limb length deficiency,” said Kim McNeil, Teagan's mother. “It’s pretty rare. We found out when she was 2 months old, and we didn’t really know anything about it.”

”For the longest time, I don’t even think she realized it could be a disability,” continued Kim. “We never even used that word in our home about it.“

In a sport rooted in perfection, with one leg slightly shorter than the other, Teagan puts her best foot forward. 

“Growing up with everything she’s dealt with medically, I feel like this place offers her an opportunity to be absolutely accepted,” added Daniel Bernal, a Gymnastics Coach at Champion Gymnastics in Santee.

”It’s given her something to strive for, something to work towards. She’s so self-driven and motivated that this really provides that opportunity for her to flourish.”

Teagan might only be in 4th grade, but she’s hoping all this hard work pays off on the biggest stage.

“I started it because I wanted to inspire people to always try and never give up,” continued Teagan.