In the quiet moments at airport departures, final hugs hold an unknown weight. For Konnor McClain, seeing you to her father Marc and younger brother in 2021 in Texas would become a memory etched in time – the last embrace she’d ever share with her dad. Who could have known? Certainly not the teenage gymnastics prodigy who stood at the precipice of her dreams, Auburn commitment secured. As she walked into the 2021 World Championships selection camp with steely determination, the future seemed mapped in chalk dust and potential.
Then came the call after Thanksgiving. Marc wasn’t feeling well, which was nothing unusual for a man who, as Lorinda (Konnor’s mother) affectionately noted, “gets a paper cut and cries.” But when communication suddenly halted, replaced later by a desperate hospital update, McClain’s carefully constructed world began to fracture. He passed away on December 27, 2021. Now, in 2025, Konnor reflects on that darkest period, and what she shared has left the gymnastics world in tears.
It was Christmas Day when Konnor’s mom called, “You all need to get a flight right now.” By December 27, they were there. No hugs, no words, just a window between them. She watched her dad take his last breath. The machine flatlined. Fans broke down with her—“Crying here… just heartbreaking for her and her family! I hope she will continue to enjoy Gymnastics!
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