I’ve worked so hard for this and now here comes the payoff. Literally. Agents knocking on the door, endorsement deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at my fingertips, living in the limelight…if I make the Olympic team, life as I know it will cease to exist.
This is my first time truly letting it sink in that the Olympic Games aren’t like a competition you finish and then life goes back to normal. Gymnasts turn from nobodies to superstars overnight after competing at that level. Everything changes in an instant. I really have no idea what I’m getting myself into, and I’m absolutely terrified at the thought of facing this great new unknown.
But underneath my fear, there’s a spark of excitement. I’m ready for whatever’s going to happen, even if I feel like I have no clue. I’ll just keep doing what I know how to do. Train. Compete. Win. Everything else is just background noise. That includes Jack, sadly, but he’ll be there when it’s all over.
“You ready?” I look up. It’s our waitress, asking if I’m ready to decide between waffles or eggs, not whether I’m ready to take on the big and scary world, but either way, I have an answer. I push aside the menu I haven’t touched, smile, and reply.
“I’m ready.”
Results
National Team Camp Verification – April 15, 2016
1. Ruby Spencer, 61.1
2. Maddy Zhang, 60.3
3. Emerson Bedford, 60.2
4. Amalia Blanchard, 60.0
5. Irina Borovskaya, 59.8
6. Zara Morgan, 59.3
7. Charlotte Kessler, 58.7
8. Bailey Dawson, 58.4
9. Olivia Nguyen, 57.9
10. Amaya Logan, 56.6
11. Brooklyn Farrow, 56.1
12. Nalani Logan, 55.8
13. Kaitlin Abrams, 55.7
14. Sophia Harper, 30.8
American Open – May 14, 2016
1. Maddy Zhang, 59.0
2. Amalia Blanchard, 58.9
3. Charlotte Kessler, 58.7
4. Zara Morgan, 58.6
5. Bailey Dawson, 58.4
6. Irina Borovskaya, 58.3
7. Olivia Nguyen, 58.1
8. Nalani Logan, 57.6
9. Amaya Logan, 57.1
10. Kaitlin Abrams, 56.9
11. Beatrice Turner, 56.3
12t. Madison Kerr, 56.1
12t. Brooklyn Farrow, 56.1
14. Caroline Lockwood, 55.8
15. Carly Weinstein, 55.6
16. Laura Siegel, 54.9
17. Hannah Portman, 54.2
18. Leah Manning, 54.1
19. Danielle McIntyre, 53.9
20. Joanna Price, 53.3
21. Kate Lindley, 52.6
22. Addison Webster, 52.3
23. Elise Connor, 51.9
24. Mackenzie Graham, 51.8
25. Sophie Zeman, 51.1
26. Nora Isherwood, 50.4
27. Olivia Fischer, 49.7
28. Emerson Bedford, 30.7
29. Ruby Spencer, 30.5
30. Sophia Harper, 30.4
31. Kara Lennon, 29.2
U.S. National Championships Day 1 – June 2, 2016
1. Ruby Spencer, 61.3
2. Emerson Bedford, 60.9
3. Amalia Blanchard, 60.3
4. Maddy Zhang, 59.6
5. Zara Morgan, 59.3
6. Charlotte Kessler, 58.9
7. Bailey Dawson, 58.6
8. Amaya Logan, 58.3
9. Irina Borovskaya, 58.1
10. Olivia Nguyen, 57.6
11. Madison Kerr, 56.3
12t. Beatrice Turner, 55.7
12t. Brooklyn Farrow, 55.7
14. Caroline Lockwood, 55.1
15. Kaitlin Abrams, 54.7
16. Hannah Portman, 54.3
17. Leah Manning, 53.7
18. Nalani Logan, 53.6
19. Carly Weinstein, 52.8
20. Laura Siegel, 52.5
21. Sophia Harper, 29.0
22. Kara Lennon, 28.4
U.S. National Championships Day 2 – June 4, 2016
1. Ruby Spencer, 60.7
2t. Emerson Bedford, 60.3
2t. Charlotte Kessler, 60.3
4. Maddy Zhang, 59.7
5. Olivia Nguyen, 59.5
6. Zara Morgan, 59.0
7. Amalia Blanchard, 58.7
8. Brooklyn Farrow, 56.9
9. Amaya Logan, 56.8
10. Nalani Logan, 56.6
11. Kaitlin Abrams, 56.2
12. Hannah Portman, 55.5
13. Caroline Lockwood, 55.2
14t. Madison Kerr, 54.9
14t. Beatrice Turner, 54.9
16. Carly Weinstein, 54.8
17. Laura Siegel, 53.1
18. Leah Manning, 51.4
19. Irina Borovskaya, 49.2
20. Sophia Harper, 29.8
21. Kara Lennon, 29.0
22. Bailey Dawson, 0.0
U.S. National Championships Combined Scores
1. Ruby Spencer, 122.1
2. Emerson Bedford, 121.2
3. Maddy Zhang, 119.3
4. Charlotte Kessler, 119.2
5. Amalia Blanchard, 119.0
6. Zara Morgan, 118.3
7. Olivia Nguyen, 117.1
8. Amaya Logan, 115.1
9. Brooklyn Farrow, 112.6
10. Madison Kerr, 111.2
11. Kaitlin Abrams, 110.9
12. Beatrice Turner, 110.6
13. Caroline Lockwood, 110.3
14. Nalani Logan, 110.2
15. Hannah Portman, 109.8
16. Carly Weinstein, 107.6
17. Irina Borovskaya, 107.3
18. Laura Siegel, 105.6
19. Leah Manning, 105.1
20. Sophia Harper, 58.8
21. Bailey Dawson, 58.6
22. Kara Lennon, 57.4
For full results, please visit www.laurenhopkinsbooks.com.
The Elite Gymnasts and Their Gyms
Ann Arbor Aerials – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Danielle McIntyre
California Dreaming – San Diego, California
Olivia Fischer
Kate Lindley
Dallas All-Star Gymnastics – Dallas, Texas
Addison Webster
Sophie Zeman
Great Plains Gymnastics Club – Kimball, Nebraska
Elise Connor
Madison Kerr
Gym Starz – Palo Alto, California
Mackenzie Graham
Kara Lennon
Joanna Price
Gymnastics Academy of Houston – Houston, Texas
Caroline Lockwood
Los Angeles Elite – Los Angeles, California
Hannah Portman
Carly Weinstein
Malkina Gold Medal Academy – Seattle, Washington
Amalia Blanchard
Ruby Spencer
Nashville Gymnastics Academy – Nashville, Tennessee
Sophia Harper
Laura Siegel
Reynolds Gymnastics & Cheer – Norman, Oklahoma
Zara Morgan
Beatrice Turner
Sawyer-Burke Athletics – Newton, Massachusetts
Kaitlin Abrams
South Florida Gymnastics Academy – Jupiter, Florida
Leah Manning
Texas Tornadoes – Lubbock, Texas
Brooklyn Farrow
Nora Isherwood
Vanyushkin Gymnastics – Seattle, Washington
Emerson Bedford
Waimea Sports Center – Waimea, Hawaii
Amaya Logan
Nalani Logan
Windy City Gymnastics Club
Irina Borovskaya
Bailey Dawson
Charlotte Kessler
Olivia Nguyen
Maddy Zhang
Acknowledgments
When I was a kid, a woman at my piano studio asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Like most kids, I said something crazy – “an actor and a writer.” This woman laughed in my face and said “dream on” before tellin
g me to find something more realistic.
Thankfully, my parents brought me up to love books, and bought me tons of books featuring badass girls who go after what they want. Kristy Thomas, Laura Ingalls, Francie Nolan, Sally Freedman, Jo March, Harriet M. Welsh, Matilda Wormwood…from a very early age, they taught me to be fearless. Instead of listening to that stranger’s “advice” I became infuriated and she only made me want the impossible even more. Almost 20 years later, I’ve done both of my dream jobs professionally, and I may not be the greatest or most successful at either but nothing feels better than doing what you love. So thank you, fictional people, for making me confident and scrappy and bossy and passionate, and thank you, stranger lady, for adding fuel to my fire with your doubt instead of putting it out. If I can give one piece of advice, it’s to always spend your life doing what you love, not what you think you should be doing.
An immense thank you goes to everyone on the gymternet for believing in this project from day one. The past 18 months of planning and writing and creating have been intense but whenever I wanted to toss everything in the trash, your support and interest and excitement has meant the world in helping me continue going.
My fabulous friends who read early incarnations and rough drafts, your input, advice, and problem-solving ideas have been invaluable. Jennifer Iacopelli was the first to take a look and though I was thrilled to hear she loved it, her critique was even more valuable. Thanks also to Carrie Wasserman who gave her “non-gym fan” perspective, Joe Rinaldi who helped catch errors at the last minute and of course, my multi-tasking agent/editor/lawyer/pal Holly Glymour who red-penned it up like a champion. Also, all four of these early readers caught the personal
anecdote I slipped into these pages and fully called me out on it despite never having heard the story, so thanks being correct in your assumption that I am a disaster of a human being.
I wouldn’t have made it through this book (or this life, let’s be honest) without Bekah Harbison, Sarah Keegan, Jackie Klein, and Emily Marver entertaining and inspiring me every day (and Joe Rinaldi, you get another mention, four for you, Glen Coco). Whether we’re ranting about gymnastics or debating global politics or making fun of literally everyone or just sending ridiculous gifs, our epic group text is #squadgoals. No one is more passionate or knowledgeable about gymnastics than these fine humans and I am blessed to know you all.
Jessica O’Beirne, Mark Bajus, Dvora Meyers, Cordelia Price, Lauren Collins, Emily Logan, Christy Linder, Elizabeth Grimsley, Brigid McCarthy, Izzi Baskin, Sara Dorrien-Christians, Beatrice Gheorghisor, Wendy Bruce Martins, Anne Josephson, Valeria Violi, Kensley Behel, Blythe Lawrence, Rick McCharles, and probably a thousand more of you inspire me with your own talent and passion and friendship. Every gymnast, coach, and parent I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with over the years, you were the inspiration for this book and frankly I want to be all of you when I grow up.
Finally, to my family…mom and dad for supporting me in whatever I wanted even if they didn’t always agree, for encouraging me to do the things I loved, for driving me to rehearsals and performances and auditions and ballet and tap and voice lessons and piano and flute and karate and every sport I was terrible at (really, basketball?), for sacrificing evenings and weekends, I was the luckiest. My brother Ricky and my sister Sarah (who did the fabulous cover design) have also been incredibly supportive and I love you all so much!
About the Author
Lauren Hopkins began writing about gymnastics for The Couch Gymnast in July 2010, and spent four years there as the U.S. expert while also contributing to International Gymnast magazine, GymCastic, and as a guest on several blogs. In 2014, she created her own website, The Gymternet, now one of the most popular gymnastics sites providing exclusive coverage for the most enthusiastic gym nerds. A New England native, Lauren is a 2014 graduate of Columbia University. She currently lives in New York City and she loves the Red Sox unconditionally.
http://www.laurenhopkinsbooks.com
FINDING OUR BALANCE
Copyright © 2015 by Lauren Hopkins
All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Gymternet Productions.
Finding Our Balance Page 28