Gymnast, straight-A student, and (future) neuropsychologist all in one

The eruptions of the crowd’s cheers as she makes the award-winning tumble. The feeling of joy as she reads her NHS induction letter. The stress as she races from classes to club meetings to internships. The screeching sound of her car colliding with a tree.

   From gymnast to HOSA officer to intern to LINK leader to car accident survivor, senior Gigi Hunn holds various titles. With an insanely busy life, Hunn has maximized her inner potential since almost day one.  

   From a young age, Hunn knew that she wanted to enter the medical field. While her focus has evolved with time, her passion for the medical sciences has remained a constant motivator.

   “At first I wanted to be a kids doctor, but then I got into psychology, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, people are so weird, people are so interesting. I need to know everything and why the brain controls so much.’”

   In order to prepare for her future in the medical field, Hunn currently has an internship at Swedish Medical Center, working in the general surgery unit. Even though she plans to specialize in neuropsychology, experience in a hospital has given her a leg up in the medical world. Hunn goes to her internship about three times a week.

   “You have to be top of your class to apply, and they cut it down from there,” Hunn said. “They ask you what you’re interested in, and I just said medicine so they placed me at Swedish.”

   Hunn is also very passionate about gymnastics, something that she dedicates much of her time to.

   “I do gymnastics for Evergreen; I know they’re our rival, but I’m really good friends with everyone on the team,” Hunn said. “I just joined the team last year and made varsity and then went to state. State is always nerve wracking, but I felt good because I made it my first year.”

   Hunn began her path towards gymnastics at eight years old when she began doing competitive cheer. It immediately came to her very easily, and she quickly made it to the elite team. She continued doing cheer up until she moved to Colorado from Michigan in the eighth grade.

   “I stopped for a long time, [from eighth grade to 10th grade]. I tried out different gyms here but it wasn’t the same,” Hunn said. “Then, I started gymnastics with Evergreen through my friend Ally O’Connor.”

   Hunn participates in a myriad of other extracurricular activities, from NHS to Interact to HOSA to LINK. She’s always been drawn to leadership positions and opportunities that bring her closer to others.

    “I just like leadership things; I think they’re fun,” Hunn said. “And, I really like to help people so it pushes me to do that.”

   A motivation to help others has always been a characteristic aspect of Hunn’s personality.

   “I like making sure everyone has what they need. I’m that weird person who brings extra pencils for other people during the SAT’s… I just hate it when people suffer, and maybe forgetting your stuff isn’t suffering, but whenever I see someone in need, I need to help them.”

   This ties into Hunn’s passion for psychology, as her ultimate goal is to help others.

   While Hunn is almost always busy with various activities and clubs, she takes advantage of her off-time by spending it with her family and friends.

   “When I’m not being a crazy busy person, I like spending time with my family on our boat or on vacation (Mexico, Moab, Pueblo, Michigan),” Hunn said. “My cousins also go to Conifer, so I spend a lot of time with family. We like to go tubing, water skiing, and cliff jumping. And then in the winter, we all go up to our condo in Breckenridge to relax in the hot tub and ski.”

   In July of last year, Hunn’s life took a turn that she never could have predicted. Hunn was driving down 285 like normal, when she suddenly felt a wave of nausea and dizziness. She lost control and went off the side of a cliff at Windy Point. While she was going the speed limit, she still had a heavy impact with a tree off the side of the road. First responders arrived and took her to St Anthony’s hospital where she remained for a week.

   Hunn still goes to two doctor’s appointments a week as a result of the accident. Luckily, she made an almost complete recovery with only some remaining back issues.  

   Just two months later, Hunn experienced another serious injury when she fell on her neck during a gymnastics meet; as a result, she got a concussion and bruised her sternum. She’s still in recovery.

   “It surprised me because I was so consistent on that skill, and I had it since I was 10, but I just flopped,” Hunn said. “I guess that everything happens for a reason.”

   As a result, Hunn missed out on some of the highlights of her senior gymnastics season.

   “I didn’t get to compete at our last home meet on senior night, so that was a big letdown, but I was still there with the team and all the spirits were high,” Hunn said.

   Although Hunn has faced various obstacles in the last few months, she tries to maintain a positive outlook by focusing on life’s small blessings.

       “I absolutely love going on mountain adventures. I know a lot of little lookouts, so when it’s dark out, the lights are so pretty. It’s really a moment where I can appreciate my life and all my blessings.”