How did I get so into gymnastics anyway?

It all started here.



12 years ago...I was 14. I don't know how it happened but I started reading articles about athletes with eating disorders, something that really interested me. Then I started becoming interested in gymnastics. It was an Olympic year. I remember the trails coming on, which I taped. And then the Olympic games. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was speding the summer with family in Charlotte, N.C., and bought a copy of Dominique Moceanu's biography from Border's. A little later it was July and the Olympics were on. I was still away for the summer, and mailed my mom the tv schedule for her to tape it for me.

Once I had it on tape, that was it. I watched the women's team and all-around again and again and again, until I had memorized all the commentator's comments and the gymnasts' routines. I didn't know much about the sport, so I am self-taught. I learned what all the skills were by watching my tapes over and over again. The internet was becoming bigger and bigger at this time; I scoured the net in search of photos and articles, and then pasted them in my journal. I had everyone's medal record memorized.

I got the book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes. I was even more fascinated. Then I started buying more and more biographies of gymnasts, as many as I could find. I remember never being able to find International Gymnast magazine and then one time during a trip to Virginia Beach I was at Barnes & Noble and found it. My first copy. I inhaled it. Then I subscribed and have ever issue from 1996 to present.

The next competition to come on was the 1997 American Cup. It was the coming out party for Vanessa Atler. Then I became obbsessed with her. My mom says that I have always been like this; I get into something and I become fixated on it. I read Vanessa's online journal everyday and printed them all up. I waited in eager anticipation for the Nationals that year.

Tha Christmas, I got the video tape "Gymnastics Greatest Stars." I watched Mary Lou Retton at the 1984 games and literally cried. My bedroom as a teen was plastered with posters of gymnasts. The ceiling above my bed had 5 gymnastics posters on it: Alexei Nemov (my crush), Lavinia Milosovivi, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu and Lilia Podkopayeva. Gymnastics was not only fascinating to me but gymnasts inspired me to work hard, stay in shape and achieve my goals. I always adhered to a strict diet and ran most everyday, always with gymnasts achieving perfection and working hard in the back of my mind.

Around this time, I discovered that you could purchase VHS tapes of competitions online. Fabulous, I thought; now I can catch up on all the competitions I have missed! I now own competitions that I have purchased from other from 1987 to 1995.

For me as a dorky teen, what was "cool" to do was to watch these competitions over and over, until I had everything memorized. To this day, when I am nervous or can't sleep, I picture certain gymnast's routines that I have memorized.

1998 was the mid-point to the 2000 Olympics. I remember we were on vacation and the Goodwill Games were on, which I taped. During the 1998 Nationals, Night 2, I baked an apple pie for my family. I cried with Vanessa as she made her bars routine on night 2. During the 1999 Nationals, I had just moved into my college dorm as a freshman. The 2000 Nationals were held in St. Louis, and ironically, a few months later I would be dating a guy from there. 2000 Olympics I had just moved in sophomore year with Becca. I think we ordered quesadillas and chicken tenders and watched together. 2001 and 2002 I watched while on summer vacation from college. 2003 I eagerly watched when I was on my own for the first time from college. 2004, I watched in the same house. 2005 I I had to tape because I went out to a fancy dinner at Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse, where we rented a Nissan Z3; that was Nastia's coming out party. I remember exactly what I was doing during every Nationals. In fact, I "date" things so to speak according to what gymnasts were on top that year. For example, whenever someone refers to 1995, I always think "Oh, Sabae, Japan, World Championships; Shannon Miller was on the edge and Dominique Mocean just starting."

I have watched, live, 4 Olympics now: 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. I have re-lived the 1992 games via VHS tape. And now with the invention of youtube, I have relived many more great moments, especially when bored at work. I have a book of winners, records and scores. I have over 70 VHS tapes. Dare I say it, I used to pretend the tiles in my paernts kitchen were a balance beam and I'd "do my routine." (OK I was a kid back then).

I can't think of anything else that I am so obsessed with. And it's not a fading interest. Many things have caught my interest for a while and then faded, but not gymnastics. It's not fleeting. It's fascinating to me and always will be.