The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio are right around the corner! For many elite gymnasts, Rio was the only thing talked about for four years. Now, for five incredibly talented—and lucky—girls, Rio is becoming a reality: Gabrielle Douglas and Alexandria Raisman, both competed in the gold-medal winning 2012 Olympic team in London; Simone Biles, the 19-year-old incredibly decorated gymnast that is favored to be all-around champ; Madison Kocian, 2015 world champion on bars; and Laurie Hernandez, her first-time competing as a senior at 16 years old. These girls will be accompanied by three alternates: Ragan Smith, Mykayla Skinner, and Ashton Locklear.
Unfortunately, many girls went home with dreams crushed. Gymnastics is a sport for young bodies and if you miss that small age-window—I’d say about 16 to 20 years old—the chances of you going to the Olympics are slim to none (although Gabby Douglas, 20, and Aly Raisman, 22, are both second-time Olympians).
These girls worked insanely hard to get to these Olympic Games, and it’s all about to pay off, but at what price?
No prom, no Friday night football games, no parties, no social life. They’ve all given up a lot for the sport that they love. If you ask me, I’d take the average life over all that greatness.
I watched the Olympic Trials where these girls competed among others to clinch their spot on the Rio team. I felt inspired and excited and nostalgic as I thought about my days as a competitive gymnast (don’t worry, I was absolutely not great). I wished that I had had a better opportunity to pursue an elite gymnastics career. As I continued to think about it, I came to the realization that I was one-hundred-percent not dedicated enough to the sport. Gymnastics was fun, but it wasn’t my entire life. I was dedicated to friendships, to family, and to reality. I wasn’t ever going to be an Olympic gymnast, let alone even an elite gymnast.
So, I attempted to appreciate every moment of my very average life. I did several sports instead of just one and because of this; I made a wider variety of friends, making me a more versatile person. I went to sports events—not just because I was a cheerleader and I had to—and enjoyed my time as a normal, average person. I went to school and pretended that I hated it, even though I would have enjoyed being home schooled—like many elite gymnasts are—even less. I spent Friday nights with my friends and lazy Sunday afternoons with my family and never once wished that I was in a gym, working on a new routine or fighting a mental block.
I was free, and still learned a lot about dedication, working hard, and teamwork. I had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do and where I wanted these sports to take me. I could have just focused on one sport and tried to be good enough for a college team, but I was more into my after-school activities for fun. I wasn’t the person who was going to put the entire life into one thing; I would rather not put all my eggs in one basket. And I was okay with that (eventually). I was always busy, but I still had free time. I was mildly athletic, but also loved being lazy. I like to think that I had the perfect balance. I was incredibly average.
It’s incredible what Olympians can do, and they should be rewarded for all their hard work. If you need me, I’ll be lying on the couch, perfectly content with being ordinary.
