Have you met a famous gymnast?

[Sarah!]

I want to collect stories from gym fans about gymnasts they've met or encountered and post the stories on my website.

Here is where to go that tells what to do.

Link Removed

Like most gymnastics fans, I love to hear people tell about their encounters with famous gymnasts. I hope to build a huge archive of stories so people everywhere can enjoy them.

Thanks!

Sarah!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Ok, let's get this archive of yours started.

I see Chris Young at meets all the time. He's generally a pretty cool guy, and a great coach.

I've run into Blaine Wilson a couple of times -- at one point he, I, and a couple other coaches went out for food and drinks after a performance (specifically, the Tour of Gymnastics Champions that goes around the US after every olympics), and he paid for everybody's meals. I hear he has a reputation for arrogance, but I've found him to be an awesome dude every time I've hung out with him.

At woodward over the years, I've hung out with Elise Ray, Dominique Moceanu, Morgan White, Tatiana Gutsu (who introduced me to a fascinatingly entertaining Russian tradition/superstition that has become a mainstay of coaches nights out at woodward).

At National Qualifiers last year, I hung out some with Charlie Tamayo and Joey Hagerty, and exchanged greetings with Ivan Ivankov and Vitaly Marinich.

Kristie Philips owns a gym in my state, so I see her at meets form time to time. They say that if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all. With that in mind

At woodward this past year, the Penn State men's team came in to train on the final day, so I spent an afternoon taking turns with Kevin Tan on rings, while Noam Shaham practiced the Shaham on high bar nearby. Also, Alexei Nemov was coaching.

Shawn Johnson was there that week, but wasn't particularly sociable.

As celebrities go, gymnasts are generally pretty accessible. Heck, there are probably a few others I've met that I don't even remember.

 

[bogwoppit]

My girls and I met Sami Shapiro and Mattie Larson at the Gymnix International competition in Montreal in 2009. THey were walking out to their bus with their coach Artur Arkopian after podium training and they stopped and I took the chance to say hi and introduce the girls to them. Sami had the most wonderful smile for us and all three of them were very gracious and sweet to the girls. They answered some questions about the competition as well. Really neat experience for my small town girls.

Who knew that we were meeting the future National senior champion that day.

 

[coachmolly]

Most of my experiences came at camps when I was younger or meets and just involve me asking for an autograph, so nothing too exciting to tell.
At IGC in 1998 I met Svetlana Boginskaya, Lilia Podkopayeva, and Amy Chow. I didn't really spend much time with any of them, just a few corrections over the course of the week, pictures, and autographs. No complaints about any of them though. Amy Chow was really cute and sweet. She was helping me with a clear hip on bars and one of my legs kept bending. Her correction was "This leg just keeps spazzing out" or something similar. It was a fun moment for a 10 year old who started gymnastics because of Mag 7.
In 2000-ish I was a huge Jamie Dantzscher fan and met her after the 2000 post-Olympics tour. I am an incredibly shy, awkward person and she was incredibly sweet even though I probably looked like an idiot. I met her a few years later at NCAA Championships in Alabama and she was still just as sweet. She gave me an autograph and a hug and I was the happiest kid in the world. I met a few other lesser known UCLA gymnasts at the same meet (Malia Jones, Christie Tedmon, Kristin Parker) and all of them were incredibly kind and appreciative.
I met a group of WOGA girls, Alicia Sacramone, and Susan Jackson in the stands at the American Cup in 2003. They all gave autographs but that's about all. They were also all about 13-14 though, so probably not used to interacting with fans too much yet.
I worked at Flip Fest in 2007 and briefly met Jason Gatson, Jaycie Phelps, Terin Humphrey, and Mohini Bhardwaj. No complaints about any of them, but Mohini was probably the friendliest. She had no problem sitting down for dinner with the lowliest members of the staff and starting up a conversation. I also worked for John Macready and John Roethlisberger while there, both of whom were nice guys, especially Roethlisberger.
I've met some others in passing just to ask for an autograph or photo, but those stories probably aren't much worth mentioning. There are plenty of other people out there with much better encounters to share. As I mentioned before, I'm painfully shy so even when the opportunity has presented itself I have often frozen and just settled for an autograph rather than any type of actual conversation.
ETA- I also met Grace Taylor at the Friendship Classic in 2003-ish. I was waiting in line to get into my session as she was waiting with her dad to get in for her training session. I pointed her out to my teammates and we chatted. We went back to our hotel to find out she was a few rooms down the hall. It was her birthday during the meet so some of my teammates and I made her a card and good luck poster and gave her a teddy bear. She was incredibly appreciative and just an overall great person. She went all of us individual e-mails when she got home to thank us for the cards and gift which I thought was really sweet.

 

[Sarah!]

Thank you guys for your stories! For future stories, if you could, please go to

Link Removed

and read about the best way to get your stories from you to me. I will post all of them!

Sarah!

 

[bogwoppit]

No we won't as this is the CB. If you want more traffice for you blog this is not the place to get it. You can put the address in your sig though and see if people get their. You cannot advertise here without paying, so really this thread is all you'll get! Thanks.

 

[cher062]

At the Usgtc Camp they always have famous gymnasts come in for a day or two. My DD has met over the years either at camp or at Regional and national meets in our area the following.

Nastia Liukin
Chellsie Memmel
Shawn Johnson
Shannon Miller
Alicia Sacramone (we see her at alot of things because she lives in our neck ov the woods)
Carly Patterson
Blaine Wilson

There were 2 other male gymnasts but I can't remember their names.

 

[Sarah!]

No we won't as this is the CB. If you want more traffice for you blog this is not the place to get it. You can put the address in your sig though and see if people get their. You cannot advertise here without paying, so really this thread is all you'll get! Thanks.

Actually, I"m not trying to get traffic - I was trying to direct people to the description of the section in which their stories will appear so they'll understand how to submit them, rather than pasting the page here.

And why would I pay to "advertise" when I get nothing from it? The section of stories is something I'm doing for everybody, for no money.

Sarah!

 

[gymnastbeth]

I was in Chicago for the Chicago style meet, and I met Samantha Peszek... In my hotel! Me and my friend were sitting in the lobby when I noticed her and I was like "Isn't that Samantha Peszek?!" Sure enough, it was! I got her autograph and a picture with her. Best day ever!

 

[B Gymnast]

I met Samantha Peszeck in Chicago too! I got her autograph at the meet and then I was in the bathroom and she walked in and just started changing.. yes, kind of wierd.. lol. I also met Shannon MIller at another one of my meets and she was SO nice! we got to ask her questions and take pictures and stuff and I met Nastia Liukin and Kip Simons at FlipFest.. Oh, and john and john of course! Oh gosh, at the covergirl classic i met: kyla ross, sabrina vega, jordyn wieber (we ran into her at a crosswalk!), alicia sacramone, bridget sloan, mattie larson and some others.. can't remember..lol.. but i have pictures with almost all of these people!

 

[flipper's fan]

Kerri Strug works for the federal gov't and I had a grant from her department- we talked frequently for a year.

DD has met Kerri, has met Elise Ray, Shannon Miller, Morgan White, Annia Hatch and maybe others at Woodward. She has gone to Svetlana Bogunskaayia's camp several times and met Domenique Moceanu, Courtney Kupets, and Oksana C- the 34 yo vaulter who competed in Bejing.

 

[hakunamatata]

I met Svetlana Boginskaya at a travel meet quite a few years ago. She was very polite and sweet. She signed my t-shirt I have also run into Chellsie Memmel quite a few times, as I have competed multiple times at her parents' gym (M&M Gymnastics in Wisconsin) and used to compete against her younger sister, Skylar, whom I believe is an elite by now. I would post on your website but I don't have an account, so feel free to add my story if you wish!

 

[bribri514]

I feel like I am missing out. Not lots of famous gymnasts in my neck of woods. I've met Amy Walker Pond a few times, she's amazing. A good friend of mine lived next to Alicia Sacramone freshman year of college which I think is so so cool. I met Kerri Strug once when she was back in CO Springs. I wish I went to one of those cool national summer camps as a kid, I went to a DU camp a few times and met some of their gymnasts. Everyone's experiences sound really cool!

 

[gymcoachholly]

I know Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs.... she's good friends with my best friend so I see her all the time - she's awesome and so pretty!

 

[BlairBob]

I got to sit in a meeting with Mr. Tkatchev and his wife a few years ago and I was super jazzed about it the whole time. I've met Nastia and a few others, worked with Emilia Eberle and Geza Pozsar and a bunch of other coaches in Northern California that were someone important in years past besides being a coach now. I always end up bumping into George Hery a lot since I started going to his clinics and he would have the funny knack of showing up at whatever gym I worked at which was always fun.

 

[sportyfam5]

My dd's have been very fortunate to meet several famous gymnasts! Some they just got autographs and some up close and personal.

Nastia Luikin
Shawn Johnson
Carly Patterson
Blain Wilson
Tasha Schwikert
Terin Humphry
Ivana Hong
Chellsie Memmel
Joe Hagerty
Shayla Worley
Justin Spring

The last 4 they met at IGC this year as well as 2 Olympic coaches. Their favorites by far were Shayla and Justin. They hung out with the kids like everyday people. Justin even made a slushie for my dd's friend! Ivana was great also. She and her mother were very down to earth. We met them at a small fundraiser another local gym was having. Carly also seemed pretty personable.

Great thread idea, it really got me thinking how lucky they have been.

 

[Sunobo]

At her own gym:
Annia Hatch
Elise Ray
Kerri Strug
Mark Gibson - Maybe not so much famous, was on the British Junior National Team. He is a great gymnastics motivational speaker and in June he (on foot) and his son (on bike) crossed the state of Pennsylvaina from Pittsburg to Philadelphia.

At IGC she saw/met:
Svetlana boguinskaia
Hollie Vise
Maddie Curley - Movie Stick It
Tara Paige - Movie Stick It
Susan Jackson - 2010 NCAA All-Around National Champion