Luci Romberg (BS '04)

Luci Romberg mid-backflip in front of a Japanese temple. — Photo courtesy: Chad Bonanno

Texas Woman’s alumna Luci Romberg has come a long way since her time as a two-sport student athlete at TWU. Today, she’s a professional stuntwoman in some of the world’s biggest blockbusters and part owner of a freerunning business.

Romberg received a TWU gymnastics scholarship and studied kinesiology. She remained a gymnastics team member throughout her college career and joined the soccer team her senior year. Romberg helped the gymnastics team secure two Division II national championships and won an individual all-around prize her senior year.

“I will never forget the countless laughs, sweat, tears, team bonding activities, victories and defeats we all shared together,” says Romberg. “Until you do a collegiate sport, it’s hard to understand the bond we all share.”

Romberg discovered the business of stunts and acting her senior year when Natascha Hopkins, a former TWU gymnast, visited from Los Angeles and told her about opportunities in California. “She basically convinced me to move to LA to try it,” she says. “It sounded very interesting, so I figured why not.”

I will never forget the countless laughs, sweat, tears, team bonding activities, victories and defeats we all shared together. Until you do a collegiate sport, it’s hard to understand the bond we all share.

Romberg would soon find herself as Melissa McCarthy’s stunt double, standing in for her on seven feature films, including “Identity Theft” and “Spy,” and two national commercials. She is currently doubling for Drew Barrymore in her new film “The Stand In.” Romberg previously worked with Barrymore on the Netflix Original series “Santa Clarita Diet.”

Working as a stunt double doesn’t come without its dangers, however. A stunt in “Spy” required Romberg to hang from a helicopter skid.

“The feeling of weightlessness, the loud noise of the helicopter, the wind, I remember it like it was yesterday,” says Romberg on the experience. “It’s probably the coolest, most fun thing I’ll ever do in my life! It’s hard to describe the feeling!”

In 2008, Romberg joined a team of professional freerunners known as Tempest Freerunning. Until 2017, Romberg was the only female team member. Through Tempest Freerunning, she traveled across the globe and competed in 11 Redbull Art of Motion events, the biggest competition in freerunning, and became the first American woman to appear on the Japanese show “Sasuke,” the original Ninja Warrior.

I’ve competed from Japan to Brazil to all over Europe including Santorini, London, Vienna and Sweden. Several times, I was the only female competing against men and was able to make finals in six Redbull Art of Motion competitions.

“I’ve competed from Japan to Brazil to all over Europe including Santorini, London, Vienna and Sweden,” says Romberg. “Several times, I was the only female competing against men and was able to make finals in six Redbull Art of Motion competitions.”

Romberg is now part owner of Tempest Freerunning Academy, the the first of its kind in the world. Originally only located in Los Angeles, the academy now has three locations in California and one in Dallas.

“We wanted a fun, safe environment to train where we weren’t going to get kicked out by security and for kids to learn how to do freerunning and parkour safely and properly,” says Romberg.

In 2016, Romberg created “Tru Beauty: A Luci Romberg Story” that uses freerunning to tell her story of battling a negative self image and bulimia. She hopes to inspire others who might be struggling and spread the message of loving yourself.

Photo courtesy: Chad Bonanno

Luci Romberg mid backflip in a Japanese garden with Buddha in the background.

Photo courtesy: Chad Bonanno

Luci Romberg mid-back flip in a traditional Japanese garden.

Photo courtesy: Chad Bonanno

Media Contact

Christy Savage
Staff Reporter
940-898-3254
csavage3@twu.edu

Page last updated 9:35 AM, November 8, 2019