Olympics Trials: Gymnastics

This weekend, I was totally wrapped up in the USA Gymnastic Olympic Trials.  Gymnastics will always hold a special place in my heart.  You see, back in my flexible years, I myself was once a gymnast.  I wish I had a picture to show you, but that was way before digital camera days and all the pictures are in albums at my parent's house.  When I was about 5 years old, my Mom put me in a dance class where I learned basic tumbling skills, tap, ballet, and jazz.  It was a cutesy class and we definitely wore pink sequin tutus.  After a couple years of dance classes, I moved on to tumbling.

I spent the next several years of my life on the tumbling mats, doing back flips galore.  I remember being pushed to the limit - to always add one more flip, just one more lap around the gym and up and down the stairs, then just one more set of v-sits before we could crash and burn for the night.  I worked hard to perfect my tumbling passes and on the weekends, we would travel to compete in tumbling meets.  I gained quite a large collection of trophies and medals, but I never imagined what it would be like to train harder than one or two days a week at the gym.  I never even thought about going on to national and international competitions.  That is why I have an overwhelming respect for these ladies who compete in the Olympics.

Gabby Douglas

Alicia Sacramone

There is a lot of pressure in the sport of gymnastics.  Have you ever thought about it?  Imagine doing a back flip on a four inch wide beam that is four feet off the ground.  Imagine trying to stay in bounds when you don't have much space to run and throw a triple twisting or double back flip where you have to be really high in the air.  Imagine running in a full on sprint down a narrow mat and hurling your body through the air, then landing both feet together and "sticking" the landing without taking a tiny step.  Feeling the pressure yet?

That's why I'm glad it's them and not me.  I get all nervous and tense just watching them so I can't imagine how they are feeling just trying to make the Olympic team.  For some, all their years of intense training pays off.  For others, there's just the satisfaction of making it to the Olympic trials, although it must be depressing to get that far and then screw up by taking a fall.  I am looking forward to tonight as they will be announcing the Olympic team.  GO USA!!!

Will you be watching any gymnastics this summer?