Rebecca Best been active in sports of all kinds since she was a little girl including; dance, soccer, swimming, and recreational gymnastics since age three. Rebecca’s first gymnastics competition was when she was five years old. Rebecca suffers from scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Rebecca’s scoliosis was diagnosed in 2005 as moderate to severe scoliosis with an approximate curvature of 40%. Throughout Rebecca’s training, there was concern about her back pain and discomfort and possible long term effects of continuing in the sport of gymnastics given the diagnosis of scoliosis. Fortunately, the orthopedic surgeon did not see a reason for her to discontinue gymnastics. In fact he thought she was doing very well, and felt that the strength she was gaining from the sport of gymnastics would be good for her to continue in the sport. She has dealt with lower and upper back pain throughout her career, but manages the pain with deep tissue massages and acupressure therapy.
Now, in her third year on a full-athletic scholarship for gymnastics at The Ohio State University, Rebecca became the sixth All-American Gymnast in the program’s history following the 2008 season. Prior to attending Ohio State, Rebecca competed for Will-Moor Gymnastics in New Jersey where she was a four-time New Jersey State Champion and the Level 10 Junior Olympic National All-Around Champion in 2007.
“Rebecca is a phenomenal athlete. During the recruiting process when we learned of Rebecca’s scoliosis, we were concerned that she might be limited in her training. However, after coaching her for two seasons, there is nothing that limits Rebecca Best! She works hard every day and has learned to manage her challenge with scoliosis by keeping up with her physical therapy and weekly massage therapy. Rebecca is a remarkable athlete and person. We feel very fortunate to have the Best Family as part of our family at Ohio State.” – Ohio State Head Coach, Carey Fagan