LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — When she was 6 years old, Angela Fuller started doing gymnastics. Now at 41 years old, she doesn’t make excuses for herself anymore.

“I was an athlete my whole life, and right out of college I was in a really horrible car accident that broke my back.” said Fuller, a Littleton native. “I had my boys, and unfortunately my second baby, it got worse. He herniated my disks and damaged my back even further.”

Going from a Colorado State University cheerleader to this was devastating to Fuller.

“An MRI revealed so much damage they said if you do anything more, you will have to do surgery, and we just recommend you don’t do anything,” Fuller said.

Angela was 50 pounds overweight when another bombshell rocked her to the core.

“My best friend was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. It made you realize that tomorrow isn’t promised,” Fuller said.

Through healthy eating and high-intensity interval training, Fuller lost the weight, but she was still missing something in her life.

“I love flipping and that feeling of doing new tricks,” she said.

A simple Google search led Fuller to 5280 Gymnastics, where they teach adult gymnastics classes. Now, she is competing again at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs level.

“I remember telling the girls at the last meet that I was pinching myself because I can’t believe I am doing this,” Fuller said. “You dream of it for so many years and you’re told that it’s over, and then all of a sudden, you’re out there competing as a gymnast at 41 years old.”

When things couldn’t get any worse, she got back on her feet and started flipping through life again.

“I have every reason not to be doing this. I broke my back, I have an autoimmune disease, I was overweight by 50 pounds,” Fuller said. “I had all of these reasons not to do this again, and if I can do it, you can do it.”

Angela is also a Zumba and group fitness instructor.