Graduating Gator reflects on elite rhythmic gymnastics, sacrifice and life beyond competition

At 5 years old, Hana Starkman found her calling: rhythmic gymnastics. 

“There was this natural coordination that I had,” said Starkman, a three-time world champion athlete and a senior in the University of Florida Department of Sport Management. “I was able to see the coach do something and repeat it fairly quickly.”

In May, Starkman — who is now retired from the sport — will walk across the stage as a Gator whose college legacy won’t be defined solely by the diploma she earns, but by the path she took to earn it. 

Competing on the world stage

By age 8, Starkman was competing nationally, and by 11, she traveled to Russia for a two-week intensive training camp. 

Unlike artistic gymnastics, popularized by athletes such as Simone Biles and Mary Lou Retton, rhythmic gymnastics takes place on a carpeted floor without springs — no bar, vault or beam. Athletes perform with apparatus such as balls, batons, clubs, ribbons and hula hoops, competing individually or in groups and judged on difficulty, execution and artistry. While the predominantly female sport is growing in the U.S., it is widely popular in Russia and Eastern Europe.  

In 2021, Starkman, then 16, made Team USA’s National Rhythmic Group, prompting a move from Miami to Deerfield, Illinois, home of the U.S. training facility. One of four children, she relied on her parents to rotate stays in a shared apartment with another gymnast while athletes balanced school in the mornings and trained 35 hours each week.

Starkman competed in the group discipline, in which five gymnasts perform together for two and a half minutes. The event demands synchronicity, timing and collaboration.

“Flexibility and physical ability are still important, but awareness of your teammates matters more,” she said.

After several months of training, Starkman placed in the top 10 at her first world championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, and set her sights on the 2023 Sofia Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Bulgaria. Along the way, she sacrificed milestones, including missing her high school graduation to compete in Milan, Italy.

With many U.S. rhythmic gymnasts retiring in their late teens or early 20s, Starkman prioritized preparing for life after sport. She enrolled in UF Online, allowing her to continue her education while training.

As the Paris Olympics approached, Starkman and her team competed in rigorous qualifiers across South America and Europe. In their final attempt, the team fell short of Olympic qualification but earned bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. 

After competing in more than 15 countries by age 20, Starkman finished her sophomore year online and applied to attend UF in person.

“I wanted to experience the typical, normal college life,” Starkman said. “I had no idea what it was about.” 

Although traveling internationally without her parents and relocating to Illinois had fostered independence, the transition away from competition felt more daunting. 

Redefining success after sport

After retiring, Starkman shifted her focus to supporting other athletes and changed her major to sport management in the UF College of Health & Human Performance. 

“What drew me was how much time I dedicated to my sport,” she said. “Being an athlete myself is an experience not many people have. Leveraging that was a no-brainer.” 

Coursework allowed Starkman to channel that experience into new skills, including exploring the responsible use of AI in Brian D. Avery’s Risk Management, Live Entertainment and Sports class. 

“Having the opportunity to explore every facet of the sport industry through my courses has been incredible,” she said. 

Outside the classroom, Starkman sought ways to build community, serving as director of outreach for UF’s pickleball club and director of leadership development for Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed business fraternity. She also secured an NCAA internship with USA Triathlon before joining ONA Creative, a women-driven agency that works with major sport brands and is based in Los Angeles.

“I want to stay in touch with my athletic identity, even if I’m not an athlete anymore,” she said.

After graduation, Starkman will move to Los Angeles to continue her internship with ONA Creative, potentially supporting clients connected to the LA28 Olympics. 

“I had to rediscover my identity outside of sports,” she said. “I’ve come a long way, and I’m glad I’ve come here because I’m able to reflect on it.”