Olivia Karas’ journey to commentary began as a game in the gym. Karas says that during morning practice, “I would grab my water bottle and put [it] in front of my teammates’ faces and pretend I was interviewing them.” Years later, the six-time All-American and two-time Big Ten individual champion with the Michigan Wolverines realized she was not ready to say goodbye to gymnastics after she graduated in 2019. Instead, she thought back to her knack for commentary and chose to pursue that path.
“I ended up literally flying into Dean Linke’s DMs on Twitter saying ‘hey, remember me? I would love to get into the sports commentary world,’” Karas explained. “And here we are.” Karas is now in her fifth year as a women’s gymnastics analyst for the Big Ten Network, commentating at regular-season BTN meets as well as Big Fives and Big Tens. This has allowed her to stay connected to a sport she spent almost her entire life immersed in. As many retired gymnasts say, adjusting to life after gymnastics is never easy. Karas found that commentary brought her closest to the feeling of competing again, or, as she puts it, that feeling of being “high on life.”
Even though she enjoys this role, the transition has not been without its difficulties. Despite her…
