There are some things you just cannot understand until you experience them for yourself first hand, and I feel like gymnastics is definitely one of those things. I know plenty of people have taken a few gymnastics classes at some point during their childhoods, but usually it's not something that really sticks. For those of us who did stick with it to some extent, however, it probably became one of the most memorable and influential parts of our childhoods, and there are somethings that only gymnasts can truly understand.
1. The many nights spent in hotels.
What most people don’t understand is that when you are a competitive gymnast, you travel… a lot. Pretty much every weekend, we were either in a different part of the state or in a different state altogether. I even remember a couple of Thursdays and Fridays in elementary school where I was either pulled out of school early, or missed a day in order to make it to a meet. Luckily, those trips counted as “educational field trips,” and honestly, how much could a third grader be missing anyways?
2. The hair glitter.
Oh, the hair glitter. I really never understood why we felt this to be a crucial part of gymnastics, but it definitely was. The best part about the hair glitter was that there was no possible way to spray it without making a complete mess. It has been years since my last meet, and yet still the floor in my basement under my old designated hair glitter spray spot is still covered in sparkles to this day… and there is no way to possibly clean it up. Also, the fact that even a week of showers couldn’t remove all of the sparkles from your scalp was absolutely lovely.
3. The itchy competition leotards.
Again, like the hair glitter, competitions also required sparkly leotards. Just a FYI, sparkly does not mean comfortable. One of the most rewarding parts of finishing a meet was finally being able to get your arms out of those tight, itchy, glittery sleeves.
4. Constantly being covered in chalk.
This is something you just got used to and never even thought twice about. I’m not sure I ever left practice without being covered in chalk from head to toe. I think one of my favorite parts about this was when I started to transition from a gymnast to a musician. I would always leave straight from the gym to go to my concerts, and my black dress pants always ended up with white streaks of chalk all over them. Hey, it’s not like I cared. I was used to it.
5. Not having a social life outside of the gym.
When all my school friends were going to birthday parties and sleepovers, I was not. I was too busy training to do that. Everyday as soon as I got home from school, I rushed to change and went to the already running car to go to practice. I didn’t even have a chance to sit down and eat dinner. My mom prepared all of my meals into travel containers so that I could eat on the way to practice.
6. Having the constant urge to flip.
This one was rough, and honestly sometimes it is still present. All I ever wanted to do was run my tumbling passes down the elementary school hallways, which to my disappointment was not neither considered safe nor socially acceptable. This made recess all the better though. It gave me a chance to show off my skills. Both my peers and I loved it… I’m not sure my teachers did though.
7. Hands that were either covered in calluses, or just missing skin all together.
I kinda miss my "gymnast hands." They served as a physical reminder of all my hard work, and I loved showing them off to gross out my non-gymnast friends. Soft hands were overrated anyway.
8. Still being able to walk on your hands well after your gymnastics days are over.
Unfortunately, I have lost many of the skills that used to be so easy for me. However, walking on my hands became second nature. One of the saddest days will be when I find myself no longer able to do so.
9. Having a huge second family to watch you grow up.
Growing up, I spent more time in the gym than anywhere else. It became my second home, where I was constantly surrounded by the same group of friends, parents, and coaches who became my family.
Since my days as a gymnast, I have experienced so much, however, nothing has even remotely resembled my time as a gymnast. It will always be something like none else, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart.
