"You Don't Look Like A Gymnast"

[d0nut_l0ver]

I once BROKE my foot jumping off a mat. Okay, I was going to jump off the mat and do a front tuck (it used to be part of our strength). I told everybody I landed funny AFTER the flip.

I haven't been told this, since all of my friends are really polite, and I definitely have gymnast shoulders. I'm no way skinny enough to look the way a "traditional gymnast" does - it's just not how I'm built, and that includes having a big butt and bulky legs. I'm never making the Olympic Team, or probably level 8 even, but I'm having fun training and competing until I go off to college. Gymnasts have all kinds of different body types, and yes there are some that are more beneficial than others, but it doesn't matter unless you're trying to go elite or something.

OH!! Are you okay now? I've had a similar experience; one time I was on a bouncy house and my friends weren't currently there. I stood at the top of the slide facing the bounce area and was going to do a flip down onto the actual bouncy floor. I had been doing flips from just standing in the bounce house, so I thought it'd be fun. Well, my foot got caught on the cover they had over the bounce house and I slammed my chin on the bottom of the bounce house. I collapsed, my foot and chin hurting like crazy. When any of my friends came, I told them, "I died." Lol I was fine after a while though, luckily!!

Well, I'm glad you have great friends. And the friend that told me this is actually one of the most polite, awesomest friends I have! I'm pretty sure she didn't mean to be... well... mean. And yeah, I'm never going to make an Olympic team or go elite. I'm not even going to make it into college gymnastics, at least not in the college I really want to go to. The highest I'll go is most likely level 8 or 9, especially with me being a late starter and all. Thanks though!

 

[d0nut_l0ver]

Ohmygosh I am so sorry! Girls in high school are so mean. There was one girl in my group of friends who would follow behind me in the hall and mock some of the "Deaf noises" I make. My sister told me about it. She was even meaner to girls who weren't her friends. Most of the time even friends say those kind of things because they're insecure. Your "friend" may be having issues with her own body. Not that it matters because they shouldn't say them at all. But still they're motivated out of bringing you down so they feel better and definitely not in any reality or even anything about you! I'm in college now and there's still a couple girls like that.

And anyway who says what a gymnast looks like! All my Deaf friends said there's no way I could ever be a gymnast because "Deaf people just don't do gymnastics". Even my high school gymnastics coach freshman year told me I should do the Special Olympics and all the other girls supported her (they were all L 5-8, I was the only L 10).

But anyway gymnasts have a million different looks. Short like Shawn Johnson, tall and skinny like Svetlana Khorkina, strong/stockier like ASac, and every ethnicity and nationality (it's so cool how many different countries send gymnasts to international meets!) So that's just a really ignorant thing for her to say.

:hug:

Aww, that's so mean! I've been to the Special Olympics and there's no way you'd need to be there. There's nothing wrong with being deaf and doing gymnastics! So what, maybe other people are more balanced then you are on beam. But, as long as you work hard, you'll be just as good as all the other gymnasts!

yeah, no gymnast really does look alike. And don't worry, I'm not bothered by what she said anymore. I'm sure she didn't mean to upset me. She's really one of the bestest friends I have. Thanks, though!!

 

[sophgymnast]

The odd time, someone will underestimate me, and say I'm not strong because I'm so small. Me being the competitive one, flex my muscles and show them for themself that I'm strong...then they stop talking LOL.
Getting on a more serious note, I have to agree with NYgymfan. What does a gymnast look like? All that matters is that YOU know you are a gymnast, and YOU know what you're capable of doing. Don't let other people bring you down!

 

[Limebow125]

Yes millions of times lol

 

[flexiballetgirl]

It's funny, the only time I'm told I look like a dance (I've done ballet since I was 5) is when I'm at the gym