Chalked Up
CHALKED UP: Inside Elite Gymnastics’ Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams
Chalked Up is a coming of age story that is about my early life spent as a gymnast. I hope you’ll find it has relevance beyond athletics. It’s intended to be the story of one child – me – not an exposé about the sport. It touches on broader issues than gymnastics: athletes who are willing to do anything to be the very best, a culture in which second place means nothing because only winning matters, mother daughter relationships, eating disorders, coming into one’s own. Ultimately, it is for anyone who has ever felt they weren’t good enough, ached to be better than they are, and has grown up to accept the person they were meant to be.
I hope you enjoy the book. As well as some thoughts and musings and a couple of short films I’m sharing here.
Hello. I am a sophomore at SUNY Cortland. I participate in club gymnastics at my college and have done high school and middle school gymnastics, but not competitive leveled gymnastics.I have also been coaching non-competitive gymnastics for three years. I have created a blog dedicated to discussing and correcting the abuses of competitive gymnastics on young children, as well as, promoting recreational gymnastics. I would love if you could check out my blog! I have linked my blog to your site in order to promote your blog. I look forward to reading your book, “Chalked up” as well. Thank you for your time.
- Cassandra McNamara
Comment by Cassandra — May 5, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
I just wanted to comment that I really enjoyed your book. I never got to participate in gymnastics as a kid - I was a kid during the 80s when some of the things you describe in your book were becoming more widely known. My mom decided it wasn’t something she wanted me involved. While I think she made a wise decision, I was always really disappointed that I never got to learn about the sport. So, at the age of 30, I enrolled in an adult gymnastics class! It has been one of the most enjoyable sport I’ve ever done (I’ve always been active in soccer, track & field, lacrosse, swimming, marathon running, etc)! I think it is so sad that the things you went through have become the “face” of the sport and discouraged people like myself from getting involve. Gymnastics is the perfect recreational sport and I would love to see more adults taking up the sport (or getting back into it). I will probably never do anything more complicated than a back handspring, but I relish each little skill that I learn and perfect. I wish there was more done to make people realize that gymnastics isn’t just for kids and it’s not only something that can be done at the olympics! I would love to hear your perspective on this.
Comment by Andrea — October 26, 2009 @ 12:10 pm