The Aggressive Mentality of Balance Beam

And now suni is the backbone of the USA Olympic team. She deserves all of it and more!

Sunisa is such a genuine and sweet person. She is as loving as her family. People don’t know the hardships of the Hmong people. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders going into the olympics and she still went in strong. Congrats Suni! You are amazing!

Katelyn Ohashi is such a great gymnast. Every competition she was in during elite she always looked sad, overworked and under appreciated. The change in her personality and spirit once she joined UCLA was amazing! I'm so glad she got her confidence back😊

Suni and Kathy's stories got me bawling like a baby wow

Sunisa's coaches are honestly gems, what amazing people (as is she herself).

Can't believe Kathy Johnson started when she 12 and still made it to elite and the national team that is INSANE. Even starting gymnastics at age 7 is considered late let alone 12, she must have been very naturally talented.

So surreal that Suni was featured here watching Nastia's AA beam routine during the Beijing Olympics. And now, Suni is an Olympic AA champion herself. ❤️🤟💪

holy crap...i was sobbing at kathy johnson’s segment/story. she was my mom’s favorite gymnast in high school and now she’s one of mine also, that was beautiful. 🤍 same with suni, i love her and her coaches seem so wonderful.

The typical "body" of gymnasts has changed so much. So many girls in the earlier years of gymnastics had eating disorders and were told to lose weight. Now it's not perfect, and body image is a huge issue for gymnasts but its become something totally different. All body types are beautiful and come in different shapes and sizes. if your reading this remember to eat today, your body deserves it. You should love yourself and your body.

Kathy Johnson’s story got me crying with joy and pride for her.

I feel so bad for Dominique because they didn’t listen to her. Even after she fell and banged her head on the beam, they didn’t seek medical attention. They needed to take care of their bodies. The coaches had a duty to protect them.

Kathy Johnson-Clarke always astounds me. She's one of my favorite gymnasts not just because of her talent, but her dedication to the sport speaks volumes. Not gonna lie, she made me feel for her when she recounted her struggles on the beam and then her triumph never fails to make me go in awe of her. I suggest that you find her other interviews through the years. She has a lot of insights on many things and you'll not get bored of her storytelling.

Sunisa is a treasure. I absolutely ADORE her!!!!! Sunisa IS going to the Olympics, that much I know.

now suni is headed to her second olympics, i'm so proud of her!

The level of perfection they expect especially on the beam is probably one reason why some of these girls end up with eating disorders. The balance checks I get as far as deductions go but they're requiring these women to do something that their bodies weren't made to do. Which also plays a factor in why the window for their sport is so short. The over exercising and all the stress that is put on your muscles and joints when you're tumbling is something our bodies weren't made to do. I mean the fact that Shawn Johnson for example, didn't even get her first period until she was 17 and doing Dancing With The Stars is just mind blowing to me. How can these people essentially force these girl's bodies into delaying puberty? Looking like Laurie Hernandez and doing gymnastics is not a crime. Just because someone has curves doesn't mean they aren't fit or healthy. It just means they have a different body type.

suni just won gold! So happy for her. This is proof that abusive, break-the-athlete-down mentality in coaching is not necessary. Look at how supportive, positive, and thoughtful of suni's state her coaches are compared to the Karolys (the romanian coaches)

The problem with the Karolyi's was that the kids were just disposable to them. If one girl broke their leg, there was always another elite gymnast waiting to take her spot

Sunisa just won a gold medal at the olimpics, such a wonderful girl.

I'm glad that they focused quite a bit on Kathy's story. I had heard she started gymnastics at 12 and was in the olympics at 24, but I never saw footage before age 18 or knew details of her story. As a 5 year old girl in L.A. in 1984, the '84 Olympic gymnastics competition has always had a large and special place in my heart. It's why I started gymnastics and am still a fan today.

When she said..... There's a little girl in me who has wanted this her whole life and I'M NOT LETTING HER DOWN!!!! Took me out....