Emma & Liz Lehan – July 2025 Athletes of the Month
Emma and Elizabeth (Liz) Lehan, 18, of Norton, have been doing physical therapy and sports performance training at Elite Sports Performance & Physical Therapy in Foxboro for years now! The twin sisters both compete at the USA Gymnastics Level 10 and have been gymnasts for about 13 years. They recently graduated from Norton High School and are soon heading off to college where they will continue to compete in gymnastics. Emma will be attending the United States Air Force Academy with plans of becoming a doctor/surgeon and Liz will be attending Springfield College and will be studying physical therapy.
Both girls have been at training and rehabbing at Elite for years doing a combination of physical therapy and sports performance training to keep them healthy and strong for gymnastics. Physical Therapist Brielle Ciccio, PT, DPT, CSCS has worked with the twins through many different injuries and created innovative, sport-specific treatment programs to optimize their recovery. Elite’s Manager of Sports Performance, Katie Bennett, BS, CSCS, has designed training programs to improve their strength, power, and resistance to injury, as well as creating a fun, supportive training environment. Emma and Liz have faced injuries and setbacks throughout their gymnastics careers, but they have always worked hard to overcome them.
Liz explains that Elite is a “safe place for athletes to truly be themselves.” She tells us her favorite part of Elite is but also the amazing team of physical therapists. She feels a true athlete is someone that is “disciplined and must be willing to put in the extra work and make the most of every practice.” These qualities can be found in her favorite athletes, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, both highly-decorated USA Olympic gymnasts. She feels that gymnastics has taught her “how to work hard and so much discipline.” She even noted that she trains “so that the younger me can achieve her goal of competing on a college team.” We know that younger version of Liz would be proud of who she is today and all that she has accomplished over the years. Her advice to younger athletes who want to follow a similar path is to “always have fun and to keep pushing through because one day it will all be worth it.”
Emma notes that her favorite part of Elite is the people, explaining that everyone is “motivating but also super caring and helpful.” When asked about her role model, she singled out Coach Katie Bennett, BS, CSCS. She explains that a true athlete is someone that is “disciplined and motivated consistently as well as consistently working hard and doing hard things.” She says that gymnastics taught her “a lot of lessons like discipline and working hard.” We certainly see that strong work ethic and commitment to her training on display at Elite. She’s also received great advice and support from family and friends, who assured her that “everything happens for a reason,” which has helped her overcome every challenge during the recruitment process. She has some wise words for younger athletes: “things can get hard but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy the process – just work hard.”
We’re excited to announce Emma and Liz Lehan as our Elite Athletes of the Month for July, 2025! With their determination, work ethic, and commitment to their training, we know they have all the tools for great success in the future. We are so excited to see what comes next for these talented athletes! Keep getting after it and making us proud!
Elite Sports Performance & Physical Therapy offers Sports Performance programs and Sports Physical Therapy at both our Foxboro and Stoughton locations. To learn more about our programs and services for athletes of all ages and sports and how YOU or an athlete in your family can become our NEXT Athlete of the Month, click HERE!
