Gymnastics aficionados may remember Ohashi, now 21, as a world-class gymnast not far off an Olympic berth. She won the American Cup in 2013, defeating none other than Simone Biles (who went on to be the 2016 Olympic champion).

But injuries and unhappiness with gymnastics derailed Ohashi’s career. “I was broken,” she said in a Players Tribune video published this summer. Criticism that she was too heavy bothered her. “I hated myself,” she said in the video.

But coming to U.C.L.A. and competing at a lower level has made all the difference. “My teammates and my coaches have all allowed me to step into my individuality,” she said Tuesday, “and not be defined by just being a gymnast.”

Last season, U.C.L.A. won the N.C.A.A. gymnastics title, and Ohashi was co-champion in the floor exercise after finishing the regular season ranked No. 1 in that discipline.

She devised this new floor routine for the new season with the help of her teammates and coach. Her primary inspiration, she said, was YouTube videos of Janet Jackson’s song “Rhythm Nation.”

Ohashi’s routine has drawn praise from Senator Kamala Harris of California — “This is just fantastic” — and Jesse Jackson — “The ground is no place for a champion.”