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The Stranded Bus- Hannah Popper On Temple's Weekend Blizzard Fiasco

The Stranded Bus- Hannah Popper On Temple's Weekend Blizzard Fiasco

The Temple Gymnastics is back home safe and sound after enduring a tumultuous weekend while on their way to a meet at the University of Pittsburgh. They wer

Jan 28, 2016 by Rebecca Johnson
The Stranded Bus- Hannah Popper On Temple's Weekend Blizzard Fiasco
The Temple Gymnastics is back home safe and sound after enduring a tumultuous weekend while on their way to a meet at the University of Pittsburgh. They were stranded for about 30 hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike due to the blizzard that hit the East Coast.

We caught up with Temple Gymnastics senior captain Hannah Popper to learn more about the team’s crazy experience:

FloGymnastics: What were the main things you did to pass the time while you were stranded?
Hannah Popper: We watched movies (sometimes two times through), played card games, danced in the aisles of the bus, sang throwback songs, and did some readings and assignments that we were able to do without Internet.




What did you eat while on the bus and how did you get the meals?
We had some snacks that we brought with us like Uncrustables, goldfish, fruit, etc. But as those depleted the National Guard provided us with meals ready-to-eat.




How was everyone’s attitudes and how did you stay positive while being stranded for so long?
Everyone kept a very positive and calm attitude throughout the whole thing. No one really got scared or had any anxiety. We tried to joke about it for the most part and we were constantly told that we would be moved "soon,” so we just focused on a few hours at a time so it didn't seem as long.




What was the toughest part of the whole experience?
I think the toughest part was not having normal meals. Otherwise, we had a bathroom and stayed warm throughout the experience.



Were there any highlights of the experience?
I would say the highlight was when they finally moved the barriers on the highway and we got to the hotel and there was pizza waiting for us in the lobby.






When were you able to get back into the gym and how do you feel going into the next competition this weekend?
We were back in the gym on Monday. I think everyone is ready to get back into the swing of things and focus on the next competition and the rest of the season.

How did it feel to finally make it back home?
It feels very good to be back home, have things settle back to our normal schedules, and sleep in our own beds.


"Everything is a learning lesson and just letting them understand that we can't control every situation all the time," coach Umme Seline-Beasley told ABC6 news. "And that's something we learn as student athletes that you have to make changes when changes occur."

The Temple gymnastics program handled this unimaginable situation with grace, and we're glad they are all home safe!


Related:
2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Complete Schedule