Year: 2016

Is amazing.

If African American kids have a chance to try Gymnastics – an expensive sport – they often excel.

Dave Shzinin:

… Brown, a single mother of three, was desperate to find the boy an outlet, so one day she scraped together some money and drove him out to the suburbs north of town. He was 7 years old. And on the third day of the beginners’ gymnastics class, someone tapped her on the shoulder: A woman said the coach of the elite boys’ team wanted to talk to her. He had seen Donnell. He wanted to coach him. …

It is likely he would have never made it this far were it not for the keen eye and soft heart of Abdul Mammeri, the youth gymnastics coach who first spotted young Donnell’s talent and then nurtured it through his difficult childhood — the father figure Whittenburg never otherwise had. …

… Whittenburg’s physique — defined by a stunning degree of muscularity — stands out even among other gymnasts. His biceps are so large, Whittenburg struggles to find clothes that fit. The sleeves of normal polo shirts, such as those Team USA members are frequently asked to wear at team appearances, simply can’t accommodate his arms, so Whittenburg pushes the sleeves up between his biceps and deltoid, which only accentuates their size. …

Donnell Whittenburg closes in on stardom, one vault at a time

(via papaliukin)