A new path

In 2020, during COVID-19, Soma and her family made the big decision to move to Japan. The move was an adjustment to Soma, who had to adapt to both living and training in a different country. Everything was different.

When Soma arrived in Japan, she began training with the gymnastics club Asahi Life, an organization that has produced many successful competitive and Olympic gymnasts. For the first time, she felt a sense of independence in her practices. She was making her own decisions about her training, something she was not accustomed to in American facilities.  

“Practice hours are a lot shorter. And it’s a lot freer,” Soma said. “It’s a lot more of what you think you need to do instead of a coach telling you what to do. It’s mostly up to you.”

Typically in the U.S., coaching is a lot more rigid and inflexible. Gymnasts do not typically make their own decisions about their training and are typically given assignments they must complete from their coaches. For Soma, who had grown up with this coaching style, the looser style in Japan was difficult to adjust to. 

“My whole life, I’ve been used to people telling me, ‘Do these 10 routines’ or something like that. But when it came from me, it was kind of hard in the beginning, because I just wasn’t used to not having someone telling me what to do,” Soma said. 

Even though she was only in Japan for a year, Soma soon solidified herself as one of their top competitors. She successfully competed in several large competitions, captivating the gymnastics community. 

In December of 2020, she added yet another gem to her incredible record. Soma placed third in the all-around competition for the 2020 All-Japan Championships, with first and second place being taken by Japan’s Olympic athletes. This competition led to her inclusion on the Japan National Team and helped put her on the path for the Olympics. 

Despite Soma’s successes, her injury cut her season short, making the future her future plans for elite competition uncertain. For now, she is focusing on recovery but hopes to return to chasing her Olympic dream. 

“Ultimately, the Olympics would be my goal,” Soma said. 

While her Olympic goals may be uncertain, Soma has committed to competing at the collegiate level. Five different colleges offered Soma scholarships to compete with their teams. Soma is now committed to Stanford University, and she will be competing in their gymnastics program once she graduates high school. 

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Soma said.  

Soma’s career has had its ups and downs, but she has proved countless times she is truly an elite competitor. Whether on the Olympic and international stage or the collegiate level, Soma has shown she has what it takes to excel.