Twin Flame
By Camryn Edens
LOVE OF GYMNASTICS
Emma and Hannah Loyim’s passion for gymnastics has not only shaped their athletic careers, but also led to tremendous success in the sport.
It’s no secret that Emma and Hannah have a deep passion for gymnastics that has ultimately set them up for success.
While with the Broncos, Emma earned two individual Mountain West championships, as well as three all-conference selections. Meanwhile, Hannah made an impression at Iowa State, securing a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team.
Both sisters have excelled academically, earning a place on the WCGA Scholastic All-American Team each year since they began college gymnastics.
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— Boise State Gymnastics (@BroncoSportsGYM) April 1, 2024
Emma Loyim absolutely CRUSHED it at the MW Championship!#BleedBlue | #WhatsNext pic.twitter.com/NNTzxSw3nV
— Iowa State Gymnastics (@CycloneGYM) February 3, 2024
Through it all, Emma says the most rewarding aspect of gymnastics is the payoff from hard work. Whether it be in the classroom or the gym, the joy of seeing effort translate into success is what she loves most. Experiencing that elation with her teammates only deepens the sense of accomplishment.
“I also really enjoy the joy that it gives me,” Emma said. “For example, when you're learning a new skill, and you finally do it, and then you go to a meet and you compete successfully, it's the best feeling in the whole world because it just shows all of your hard work paying off at the end of the day, even though it is not always easy.”
GROWING UP
Two-year olds Emma and Hannah were known for their boundless energy and constantly found doing flips off anything they could find. Whether it was forward rolls off the coffee table or cartwheels over the living room, their parents quickly realized the need to channel the energy of their crazy twins. Their parents enrolled the twins in ‘Mommy and Me’ classes to nurture their young love.
The twins’ love for gymnastics skyrocketed from there. Emma and Hannah continued with gymnastics classes, which eventually led to gymnastics themed birthday parties at their local gym. At just five years old, Emma and Hannah were already impressing future coaches, who encouraged their parents to begin training for competitions. Their parents gave the go-ahead and hence started a lifelong passion.
“We fell in love with the sport. We did soccer, swim and dance, but gymnastics just really stuck with us. We loved it so much and continued to grow in that sport, that was the one for us. Also, we're obviously very short so I don't think anything else would have really worked out.”Emma Loyim
Emma and Hannah trained on the same team for years and used each other as motivation to keep getting better. Their friendly competitiveness pushed them to excel.
“Even when we were training together in club, I would always look up to her and compete against her in a healthy way,” Emma said. “Watching each other train made us work harder.”
However, being twins in the same sport came with a unique pressure. Emma often felt as if Hannah was slightly ahead of her and keeping up with her sister was a constant challenge. If Hannah hit a routine, Emma felt the need to match or exceed it.
“We wanted to go to separate colleges because we knew it would be good for us to create our own lives apart from each other. We grew up doing the same sport, going to the same school and even in the same classes. We were together all the time. We knew we could try to find who we are without each other and create our own paths.”Emma Loyim
TRANSITION TO COLLEGE
After 18 years of being inseparable, Emma and Hannah set off to begin their college careers separately. Emma moved to Boise State and Hannah headed to Iowa State, putting almost 1,400 miles between them.
“It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.” Emma said. “I remember when I first got to college, I just started crying one time because I really missed her and I didn't realize how different and difficult it would be without having her right by my side. I think being apart brought us even closer.”
Even with the distance, the two still found ways to motivate and inspire each other. Their bond remained strong and Emma visited Hannah in Ames, Iowa, over the summer, where she got a chance to watch her twin train.
“The first time I visited her at Iowa State, I got to watch her practice over the summer,” Emma said. “I looked up to her and I was like, ‘Wow. You trained in a way that I have never trained before.’ It inspired me in a way that I can't even explain.”
When Emma returned to Boise, she approached her training with renewed determination. She worked tirelessly, driven to become the best version of herself, for her and Hannah.
On Feb. 2, 2024, the Loyim twins faced off for the first time in college gymnastics at ExtraMile Arena. Their family came from all over, even as far as England, to support the sisters in this fun meet.
“When we're at a meet, it's very team oriented. All of the teams are like, ‘Focus on your team. Watch your team. Be with your team. Stay close to your team.’ There was this one moment during general warm up where Hannah was walking by on the floor, and I was just able to give her a high five and hold on to her hand for a second. That just was like everything for me. I can't put it into words, but having her there physically was everything that I needed.”Emma Loyim
Watching Hannah compete brought Emma back to when they competed in club gymnastics together. She wanted to watch Hannah hit the best routine of her life, but also felt motivated to match any high score that her twin put up.
Though there’s still some pressure when competing against one another, Emma feels as if it has shifted.
“I feel like the pressure is not as much anymore because the pressure now comes more for doing it for our team,” Emma said. “It's no longer individual-based and we are both rooting for our teams to come out on top.”
RELATIONSHIP
On Jan. 20, 2025, Emma and Hannah will meet again at the Wasatch Classic for what could be their final head-to-head competition. Their family will gather in Salt Lake City, Utah, to cheer on both the Broncos and the Cyclones.
Reflecting on the past 20 years of gymnastics with her sister, Emma is deeply grateful for the shared experience.
“It's hard to put into words, but I am so blessed and grateful to have Hannah in my life and I could not imagine what life would be like without having a twin sister and a built-in best friend.” Emma said.
The journey of training with and competing against her twin has shaped Emma into the athlete and person she is today. She credits Hannah as her biggest inspiration.
“She's always been my number one support system, alongside my parents. I always look up to her. She's always been a hard worker and a type A student in the classroom. She is having a really successful college career and so I always tell her, ‘You're my inspiration. You pushed me every day to be better.’”Emma Loyim
SUPPORT YOUR BRONCOS
Single meet and season tickets for gymnastics are now available to purchase. The Broncos will host four meets, including Sacramento State and Utah State on Jan. 31, San Jose State on Feb. 14, Air Force on Feb. 28 and Southern Utah on March 14.
Tickets can be bought by visiting BroncoSports.com/tickets, calling 208-426-4737 or in person at the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office.