Whittenburg keeps dreams as part of his routine

GYMNAST,

The previous summer, Whittenburg had earned a bronze overall in the U.S. championships after putting up a 15.000 on vault and a 14.850 on rings.

It was the kind of foothold an athlete climbing up after an unexpected exclusion from the U.S. team in the Olympics needed.

But his injuries have swept him off his trajectory.

While his competitors took part in every, if not nearly every, event offered at the U.S. championships, Whittenburg could only manage the rings and the p-bars.

Even those two are extremely taxing on the shoulders and collarbone.

“I literally can’t do any other events right now,” he said then. “Those are the only ones that I’m pretty much ready for. I was going to do vaults, but the vaults are not ready yet. I do not want to risk any more injuries, so I just try to play it safe for right now.”

Over the past year, Whittenburg has made the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs his unofficial residence to put himself back in place.

“This is Donnell’s first experience with an injury that involved surgery,” McClure said, “so there has been a bit of a learning curve regarding the recovery and return to competition. But he has worked very hard to get back to competitive readiness.”

In the three months since Boston, Whittenburg’s shoulder has strengthened to where he’s almost at the point where he can run his entire routine without pain.

But for all the training and rehab the 24-year-old put in — of the latter, more than he thinks he’s ever done in his life — there were still big pockets of time where all Whittenburg could do was twiddle his thumbs, if he let himself.

To combat creeping feelings of idleness, Whittenburg leaned on the support of his teammates, but that wasn’t all he needed. He started designing clothes, putting together T-shirts, hoodies and accessories for a line he released in August and is still tinkering with in terms of manufacturers. It’s called “Exist Limitless.”

“That was something that kept me really occupied through those rough times,” Whittenburg said, “Honestly, because I couldn’t do as much gymnastics as I wanted to. Designing was my safe haven.”

Right now, that’s what his Olympic dreams are — limitless. Whittenburg foresees a comeback by 2019, when his body will feel “100 percent” again and he’ll be able to craft routines and upgrade skills that will punch him a spot in Tokyo. A real one, on the roster. Right now, he has his eyes on the Winter Cup Challenge, a USA Gymnastics event held in Las Vegas in mid-February.

By then, he’ll be healthier, and expects to be able to expand his repertoire of events.

He’s also been able to gradually reincorporate a third event, the pommel horse, into his routine. The step shows demonstrative improvement from where he was three months ago, let alone a year ago.

“I had tendinitis for a quite a while, trying to strengthen my triceps so I’ll be able to swing … without any elbow problems,” Whittenburg said.

He thinks he’s pinned down his irreplaceable quality that Team USA won’t be able to clinch 2020 gold without.

Like the set he used in Boston, Whittenburg likes difficult routines.

They score him, and the team, high early on.

“I know for a fact that with my high-start value, they’re going to need some firepower for the team,” he said. “I know I’m that person that can be there to help them in the situation . ... I have no doubt that, if I’m completely healthy, I will be there for sure.”

Once that goal’s past, though — there’s a hole that he’s trying to stitch up.

“That’s going to be the hard part. Trying to segue into my career after gymnastics,” Whittenburg said. “[Designing], that’s what I want to do after — be a clothing designer. I love fashion.”