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Ashleigh Gnat is the heart that beats LSU

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St. Louis, MO-  Ashleigh Gnat is the Heisman Trophy winner of gymnastics, and there's no secret everyone will have their eyes on her as the Tigers try to win their first national title, but how does she deal with being in the spotlight?

"It's a good way for me to just come home and unwind."

"I think in gymnastics you're able to just present yourself and show yourself on the competition floor."

"It's the same way in art, you're just able to let yourself go and present yourself thru your art work."

Ashleigh Gnat's drawing and paintings fill her Baton Rouge apartment. Her favorite is the eye of the tiger, something she's represented during her four years in the purple and gold.


"When that child beats on her heart, it's the heartbeat of this team and I love LSU," says head coach D-D Breaux.

But being one of the most decorated LSU gymnasts comes with pressure, which is why in her little downtime, she spends it doing something she also loves with no pressure.


"I like that I don't have anything specific that I need to draw or paint, I do it for myself or sometime for gifts because it's a gift that no one else can give them."

Her gift is gymnastics, which is why Bugs will be remembered as one of the all-time greats with 9 career perfect 10's. But no score can measure what she's meant to coach Breaux and this program.


"She told me that everybody should have the opportunity to coach somebody like you."

"You represent something much bigger than yourself, and she embraces that. If I were going to wrap a flag around somebody and say this is what a LSU athlete should look like act, like and talk like, she wears the flag around her back."

"It has been so humbling to be apart of something that's so much bigger than yourself. Gymnastics has always been a good part of my life and the memories I've made at LSU are indescribable."


Bugs wishes she could be D-D one day, that's why after this season she plans on attending graduate school at LSU so she can give back to girls what D-D gave to her.

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