As a little girl, I was always told that I could be whatever I wanted when I grew up: a ballerina, an astronaut, a soccer player. While I am a firm believer that determination and perseverance make anything possible, I also believe that there are just some skills and activities outside of my realm of capability.
The Opening Ceremony in Rio marked the beginning of the Olympic games-- a period of time when unathletic humans like myself watch in admiration and confusion as to how these athletes train their bodies to do such amazing things. My absolute favorite Olympic sport to follow is gymnastics. I'm a girl who barely knows how to walk and chew gum-- the talent of these men and women utterly baffles me. While watching the preliminary rounds of this year's gymnastic tournament, I decided to compile a list of reasons why I could never be an olympic gymnast.
1. I can barely touch my toes.
During fitness testing in elementary school, I could hold my own in most of the tests. When it came to the good-ole "sit and reach," however, my hopes of getting anything beyond a participation certificate were quashed.
2. Gravity loves to challenge me.
I have been battling chronic clumsiness since I could walk.
3. My posture is atrocious.
A constant point of criticism from my mother since I was eight. Oh well, no going back now.
4. I love food.
I don't have many vices, but carbs are definitely one of them. Even though gymnasts burn tons of calories in the gym, they still need to eat extremely well in order to be in the best shape possible.
5. I threw up after the Tilt-a-Whirl.
Honestly, if I could even get myself up on those bars, spinning around like that would result in a reappearance of my lunch.
6. I'm scared of heights.
Sure, the beam is only 4.1 feet off the ground, but falling off of that thing wouldn't feel great. (And we've already established that I tend to be a frequent faller.)
7. I have the strength of a twig.
Seriously. I struggle to get all of the groceries inside in one trip.
8. My pain tolerance isn't anything to be proud of.
This moment scarred me. How did he stay so composed?!
9. I'd look awful in a leotard.
Those carbs definitely catch up to me.
10. I can't even do a cartwheel.
And trust me, I've tried.
While I realize that many of these obstacles could be overcome with the right training had I started a bit younger, I truly believe that some people, like myself, just weren't built for certain things. So this Olympic season, I vow to only spend an hour outside working on that cartwheel before shaking it off to go watch the professionals from my living room, secretly wishing that I was them.
