Ariana Berlin’s comeback story was made for Hollywood: Nearly-fatal car accident ends a young girl’s Olympic gymnastics aspirations. Girl turns to dance but does not give up her other dream of competing for the UCLA Gymnastics team. Girl gets an opportunity to make the team at UCLA and ends up becoming an All-American.
This wasn’t an inspirational movie plot, though; this was real life. …
Sadly Director Sean Cisterna did not bother keeping the Gymnastics accurate. With very little extra cost they could have made the film far more realistic. Wrong Gymnastics will turn off a number of gymnasts and fans. 😦
… Puberty was a difficult period of transition for the gymnasts in Kerr’s study, but not the end of the line. If there were more awareness of that light at the end of the tunnel, fewer gymnasts might opt to retire—or be retired—when they hit that point.
Sometimes, gymnasts who push through find their adult bodies are capable of better gymnastics. American Anna Li’s elite career was a nonstarter when she was a teenager. It was only after doing NCAA gymnastics and returning to the elite scene in her 20s that she broke through. She competed one of the hardest bars routines in the world in 2012 and was named an alternate to the Olympic team. …
Kerr sees a shift in coaching philosophies as one of the biggest factors in the rise of older gymnasts. …
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 07: Simone Biles of the United States competes on the floor during Women’s qualification for Artistic Gymnastics on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)