An Iowa City journey: From overcoming a tornado to a soccer state championship

Iowa City Liberty's Flori Gembo vividly remembers his first encounter with a devastating tornado.

A tornado warning on March 31, 2023 pushed the then-junior soccer player out of school early so he could make his way home.

Gembo, his mom and four other siblings took shelter in their basement. When they emerged, their lives had changed dramatically.

The family noticed damage to their rooms and made their way outside. They saw their belongings scattered across the street. A sea of neighbors started to surround the Gembos' home.

“We went down to the basement just waiting until the sirens were gone, and then we just heard a loud bang out of nowhere,” Gembo recalled. “We step out, we look up and we have no roof...It was one of those experiences you know, it was a scary moment.”

The Gembo family was among many others displaced by the twister that ravaged Johnson County that night.

The devastation hit just as the boy's soccer season began, forcing Gembo to shift his focus to his family.

Even as he faced adversity, his passion for soccer never wavered.

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An immigrant family reestablished its roots

Gembo, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, discovered soccer as a three-year-old. He watched his dad and older brother compete, quickly growing his interest.

It quickly became a passion when he moved to Cape Town, South Africa at 10 years old. There, he competed on concrete streets, learning the fundamentals of the world's game.

“Everybody’s main sport (in South Africa) is either soccer or rugby; soccer was my choice,” Gembo said. “(On concrete), you do something wrong and your foot’s bleeding, but I learned how to move off the ball, move working with the ball, talking to my teammates...that really helped me a lot.”

The Gembo spent roughly 10 years in South Africa before their mother won the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. The unique program awards visas to people from countries with a low immigration rate.

It paved the way for Gembo and his family to move to Iowa City in 2012.

Flori Gambo, as a Liberty freshman, immediately made an impact alongside his older brother and then-junior Joslin Gembo. Flori tallied six goals and seven assists. He followed that up with 12 goals and six assists as a sophomore.

Unfortunately, adversity struck before his much-anticipated third season hit its stride.

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Living out of a hotel

After the 2023 tornado destroyed their home, the Gembo family was forced to set up shop in a nearby hotel.

The family became priority No. 1, putting soccer on a temporary hold.

Flori Gembo’s grades began to slip; forcing him to miss the first six games of the season.

“It was really difficult [for Flori] because his mind was not where it is now; his mind was in other places,” player-turned-coach Joslin Gembo said. “He lost a lot of things; a lot of memories that he created...he lost medals, trophies, rewards, and all those things that really impact a student-athlete a lot.”

Flori Gembo acknowledged how things seemed to go “downhill” after the tornado. He said he lost his focus for school, but that adversity soon became motivation.

The Lightning soccer team stumbled through a 1-5 record while Flori Gembo was out. The team's struggles pushed him to return.

Flori Gembo improved his grades while his family welcomed help from neighbors, teammates and coaches.

After missing nearly a month of action, Flori Gembo shined in his long-awaited regular season debut, scoring two goals in a 7-2 victory over Wahlert Catholic on April 27, 2023.

Soccer played a role in the healing process

Liberty head coach Matthew Harding believes soccer was key to Flori Gembo's recovery.

“I think it really served as a welcomed distraction for him to kind of get back to something that he knows something familiar when everything else in his life was so chaotic and so different than what it had been,” Harding said.

Soccer often transcends the game itself, which was evident during the 2023 season.

Whether snagging rides from the hotel to practice or contributions from a GoFundMe campaign, Flori Gembo and his family were showered with community support.

“The thing that I liked were the people around me, [they were] very helpful. Even people that I didn’t know, like the teams that we would play in the regular season, those coaches would come up to me and just ask me how I’m doing. Some of them would offer clothes and stuff,” Flori Gembo said.

Flori Gembo channeled that success and support throughout the season, helping the Lightning clinch their first Class 3A state tournament.

The magical run didn't stop once LIberty and Flori Gembo arrived in Des Moines.

An inspiring championship

The Lightning gained confidence with each victory, which was never more evident than in the state championship game against Norwalk.

The Lightning throttled the Warriors, cruising to a 5-0 shutout victory, securing the school's first state championship

The final buzzer signified yet another triumphant step in Flori Gembo and his family's recovery.

“I was lost for words...It was definitely a happy ending; going to state, having my mom there and sisters to watch me, having my brother coach me in the state tournament,” Flori Gembo said. “It was something to bring joy in our family.”

Flori Gembo was named to the 3A all-tournament team. Despite missing six games, he finished the season with 16 goals (the second-most on the team) and tied for second in assists (6).

Adversity was turned into success, built on the strength of his supportive teammates and community.

"As everything as he been going through, it was really, really emotional for him just because he been through a lot, we been through a lot and it was emotional for us lifting that trophy,” Joslin Gembo said. “It was really something he worked hard for, and I’m really proud of him as a coach, as a brother, as a family member. It’s just amazing and [the family] was just really happy for him.”

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A desire for more

Flori Gembo enters his senior season with one goal: to capture back-to-back state titles.

The challenges will be plenty, as Flori Gembo leads a new-look Liberty team filled with young underclassmen. He said the team’s approach is similar to last season, which included a lot of practice, team bonding, and conditioning.

As a team captain, Flori Gembo embodies all the little things that must be done to achieve success. From showing up early to setting up cones for drill work, Flori Gembo has become a passionate leader.

“I think he really helps set the level in training,” Harding said. “He’s not the type of kid to put anything less than his best effort in practice so just naturally that drives the other guys to lift their level as well so I’m appreciative of that.”

Flori Gembo has already enjoyed some success a few weeks into the 2024 season. He's now Liberty’s all-time leading scorer and recently committed to Wartburg College.

Not only has soccer served as a stage to display his talents, but it’s also a beacon of hope for his family.

The Gembo family repaired their home and moved back in, returning to their usual routine.

From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cape Town, South Africa to North Liberty, Iowa, Flori Gembo has refused to waver from his love for soccer.

“(It has) been a part of my life since birth and I’ve never loved a sport like this before,” Flori Gembo said. “It means a lot. It's been my whole personality, my whole life.”

Marc Ray covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at maray@press-citizen.com or follow him on Twitter/X @themarcszn.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: How an Iowa City student overcame a tornado to become a state champion