WEBVTT - Nia Dennis 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:06.960 I'm Sam Edis and I'm Amy Nelson. Welcome to What's 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:09.559 Her Story? With Sam and Amy. This is a show 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:15.400 about the world's most remarkable women, their professional and personal journeys. Together, 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:19.200 we'll hear from gold medalists, best selling authors, and leaders 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:22.840 of the world's most iconic brands. Listen every Thursday, or 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:27.880 join the conversation anytime on Instagram at What's Her Story Podcast. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.160 Na Dennis is an American dymnast. She was a member 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:38.200 of the USA national team from and the Junior all 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.400 Around in Bault silver medalist. She was a member of 0:00:41.440 --> 0:00:43.960 the u c l A women's gymnastics team, where her 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:47.520 famous floor routines went viral on the Internet, amassing millions 0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:53.760 of yews. Where does your story begin? I'm from Columbus, Ohio, 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:56.440 born and raised till about fourteen years old, and then 0:00:56.480 --> 0:01:00.720 I moved to Chicago when I was fifteen, mostly for 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.000 gymnastics to get better training to pursue my Olympic career. 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:08.560 Um I was training for the toy Olympics. Unfortunately, I 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:11.440 tore my achilles just before the Olympics, just three months before. 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.640 Felt devastated. I was so mad, you know, depressed, a 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.600 little bit didn't want to continue the sport, but I 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:19.600 had at that time already committed to U c l 0:01:19.640 --> 0:01:21.880 A verbally, so I was like, you know, I was 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:24.600 feeling conflicted, but I did always know that I wanted 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:26.280 to compete at U c l A, be a part 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.640 of a team, being part of a sisterhood, also go 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.399 to school. Um. When I was training for the Olympics, 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:34.440 I was homeschooled as well, so dedicating all my time 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:38.039 to gymnastics. And you know, I was also kind of 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:39.959 an only child till I was ten years old, so 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.760 it was really like a lonely journey. So I couldn't 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.600 wait to get to US. So I played competitive tennis 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:49.080 growing up, and I think that I always thought gymnasts 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.720 and tennis players had something strong and common. Like swimmers. 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:55.560 There's just so few individual sports that require that much rigor, 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:59.200 and it is really lonely. How was your life when 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:01.880 you were trained before you got to college, I mean, 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:04.200 what was what was your daily life like in your 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:07.920 schedule gons, I was training forty hours a week gymnastics, 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.320 and then I was homeschooled, so you know, it's coming 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:13.880 home from practice, eight hour practice and then just working 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:17.680 on school on the computer. Sometimes I would do extra 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:20.760 workouts outside of the workouts I was already doing. Um, 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.919 not my choice, but so yeah, I was like working 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.440 out with football coaches. I was working out in sweatsuits 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:29.720 and just weighing in, doing a lot of extreme things 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:32.720 that kind of led to body image issues, like waiting. 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.840 I was waiting in probably every other day, and you know, 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:37.799 people are like, well, we don't see a change or not, 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:40.200 you know, I well, I just waited in a day ago. 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:42.400 You know, like it's going to be the same where 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:45.400 whatever the case may be. I was on pretty extreme 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:50.160 diets early on, and just like, yeah, dieting what that 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:54.600 can lead to, and just different things, eating disorders, um, 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:59.359 compoty image issues. That was kind of my life before college, 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:03.320 not necessarily knowing that and not really realizing that that's 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:04.840 what I was going through until I was kind of 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:07.520 out of it. How did you go from probably just 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:11.720 taking gymnastics lessons to being a competitive gymnastic How old 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:13.800 were you? How did that shift? Top it? Yeah? It 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:18.480 was pretty drastic. Actually, Um, I just love gymnastics. I 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:20.799 love the feeling of flying and I feel really free 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:24.120 and I just love I have really good air awareness 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:26.000 and I feel like I'm just floating, you know, I 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:28.600 have a good time. And I started gymnastics when I 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.360 was four, and when I was about ten years old 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.600 is when my coaches were like, she's way too good, 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:36.360 like she needs to go to the Olympics. And at 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.360 this time, I'm like, what's the Olympics. I've never even 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.200 heard of that before, like what you know, So it 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:44.240 was really about ten years old and my coaches were 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:46.840 just like everybody saw like a whole bunch of potential 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:48.640 and I'm just like, I don't know, like I'm just 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:50.560 having a good time. And then honestly, that's when it 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:53.240 kind of just started to get worse from there because 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:56.120 it was like that pressure got added on. The intensity 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:59.680 just went up like ten notches times ten. What's your 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:02.920 family a part of the pressure, Yeah, most so so 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:06.200 they but they weren't before they saw the talent, right, 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.160 so it was like the talent was recognized and they 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:11.440 got on board. Um, was it your mom or your dad? 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:15.080 It was a good mix and what was that like, 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:17.719 how did you what was your relationship with them like, 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:21.520 and how is that? Evaul? Goodness, It's been a journey 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:25.320 for sure. We didn't get along for a while, not 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:29.640 in necessarily too dramatic like you know, but um, I 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:32.160 definitely started to resent them over the years because of 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.039 how they were making me feel, because of the things 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:36.680 that they were making me do, all this extra extreme 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:38.720 like telling me making me feel like I wasn't good 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.920 enough and not getting getting enough. We're proud of you 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:44.760 or not getting enough. You know, I see your effort 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.560 even just like I see your effort, like I would 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:49.200 have appreciated that too, But I know that they just 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:51.239 really wanted the best for me. They wanted to push 0:04:51.320 --> 0:04:53.240 me to just get to that next step, get to 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:56.239 that goal. But yeah, sometimes it can get a little 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:59.880 extreme and a little bit too far. And it was 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:04.880 so rocky time, a rough patch, just feeling disconnected and 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:06.800 it's still a journey with my parents. I feel like 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:09.600 I we had some conversations over the last couple of 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.800 years about just our journey and like how I opened 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:14.440 up to them and told them how they were making 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:17.680 me feel. And you know, they didn't know. They didn't 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:19.440 know a lot of the things that I was telling them, 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:22.679 they didn't even know. Um, so they're like, well, we're sorry, 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:25.560 like we didn't know. Now it's a cry. Come to 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:29.320 Jesus meeting and we're just all crying and everything. So, 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:33.240 you know, we both kind of realized like we all 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:35.520 didn't know what we were doing, and I had to 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:38.600 learn to kind of give some grace because they were 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:40.560 just wanted the best, even though I'm like, how can 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:42.760 you you know? Like, how can you not know? Like 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:45.200 how you were making me feel like I feel like 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:49.000 you could see it. But you know, everything happens for 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:50.800 a reason, I believe, and I do feel like it 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:53.839 made me stronger and kind of built and shape me 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:55.640 into the woman that I am today. And you know 0:05:55.680 --> 0:05:59.360 how to move forward what I'm not gonna do exactly. 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.599 You learned the So you know, you had this devastating 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:06.279 injury right before the Olympics, but you upheld your commitment 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:08.320 to u c l A and to be a part 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.360 of the team. Did you find the joy again in gymnastics? 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:14.880 Did you love it again? Yes? I so glad I 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:16.719 picked myself up and got to U c l A. 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:22.159 Because that was my transformational years, my transition years. I 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:25.720 really became a woman and I learned so much about myself. 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:29.720 I started to heal, I started to shed layers, UM 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:31.840 just learned so much about me that I didn't even 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:35.560 know that My coach, Miss val she Um, was a 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:37.719 head coach for U c l A Gymnastics for many years. 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.360 Amazing woman. She's like a second mom to me, and 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:43.320 she just really valued my well being over my talent 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:46.479 as a gymnast. And before coming to u c l A, 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:48.520 I felt like that's all I was was a gymnast. 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.520 I identified as a gymnast. I didn't know what else 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:54.720 was there was to me, and she was the first 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:56.280 one to kind of help me see like there's so 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:58.680 much to You're a star, Like you're a star. I'm like, 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:01.800 what do you mean? Like like you know, So she 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:03.880 really just opened those doors for me. And you know, 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:05.320 you have to do the work. You have to want 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:07.520 to do the work to heal and get better and 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:11.440 just kind of shift your mindset and think positively because 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:15.120 I do feel like I had a negative mindset growing up. 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.680 Just that was my environment, you know, just all kind 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:22.560 of negative, bottled up tense energy just kind of within 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:26.240 and Um, I just started to become free at u 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:29.920 c l A. So upon graduation, what did it feel 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.480 like to enter this new adulthood chapter of your life? 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:37.800 Stepping into adulthood has been a huge transition. Um feels 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.360 like something's getting thrown at you left and right. Every day. 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:44.720 Life is just lifing. Lately, life has just been lifing, 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:48.560 and I'm honestly enjoying it. I'm enjoying the new things 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:50.960 that I'm trying to do. Like I've spent so much 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:54.360 time in gymnastics, so it's great to just explore all 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.320 the other interests that I've had when since I was 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.920 a kid but just didn't get to try out and 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:02.360 just dedicate any time too. But honestly, the hardest thing 0:08:02.400 --> 0:08:05.880 I would say is taxes and learning about taxes because 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:10.520 I'm like, like they didn't teach me this in school. 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:14.800 I'm not ready. So what is your relationship to money? Like, 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:16.280 you know, we don't get to speak to a lot 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.040 of twenty three year old today is and like, how 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.640 do you think about money? Well, Um, I personally don't. 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.960 Well I think money rules the world, makes the world around, 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:28.200 and I wish it was love that made the world 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:32.280 go around. Um, I just like money because I needed 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:37.000 to survive and needed to live and you know, get 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:40.520 basic needs for myself. But you know, money isn't everything 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:44.000 to me. I really am looking for passion. I look 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.679 for fulfillment. I look for love and positive things, inspirational 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:51.360 things and things like what's her story? And Maker's conference 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:57.679 and yeah, and how do you spend your days nowadays? 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.240 So it's been hard, honestly, because I'm such so used 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:05.200 to like a regimented schedule like eight am, two five 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:07.920 literally in nine to five, but in gymnastics. So it's 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:11.199 been really hard because I don't have anybody telling me 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.000 what to do, and like I'm active, I want to 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.079 be active. I want to be fit. I want to 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:18.079 be tight tighten right in the gym, you know, keeping 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:21.200 it together and um. So it was hard to try 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:23.960 to find that motivation for a while. But eventually I 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.480 found my groove and I figured out honestly what what 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:29.280 it was was like I was putting so much pressure 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:31.400 on myself, like I when I think of working out 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:34.440 and when I think of just being fit, you know, 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:36.959 it comes with like all the things that I'm used 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:39.120 to eight hours a day, forty hours a week and 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:44.360 just all that intensity and learning to find growth in 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:49.080 exercise and different types of exercise like in yoga and 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:53.120 um StairMaster pilates, just doing a whole bunch of different 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:54.960 things that I've never done. Like I'm just used to 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:57.720 gymnastics workout, which is a whole bunch of stuff that 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.160 it's like all full body working out. It's just weird. 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:04.800 It's a lot different things. But um, now I get 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:07.520 to explore other types of working out, other forms of 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:11.200 exercise that bring that makes me feel good and I 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:14.080 feel like I got I got better and I felt 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:16.280 like I got one percent better even if it wasn't huge, 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:17.920 Like I had to just take that pressure kind of 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.199 off of myself. Um, it was a long time. It's 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:22.760 had a long time, but now I find a I 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:25.640 got a groove. I work out multiple times the league, 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.199 but on my own terms, and I don't have the pressure. 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:29.920 Like if you don't feel like it's today, girl, it's okay. 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:33.040 You know, tell yourself it's okay. So my days started 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.400 with usually working out in the mornings, and I also 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:39.560 I'm a new dog mom now at Cavalier King Charles. 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:41.600 So you got the long group of years. Lady in 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:45.360 the tramp, he's my bestie and you know, I love 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.640 caring for him. He gets me outside too, you know, 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:51.400 he got to be outside, So taken outside and I'm 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:54.160 really focusing on dancing right now and kind of perfecting 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:56.000 my dance craft. I've always loved to dance since I 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:58.720 was a child, but like I said before, gymnastics took 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:01.280 up that time. So now I'm trying to build my 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:04.760 expertise in dancing. I just love performing in general. So 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:06.960 even if I'm not that good, I'm gonna sell it. 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:09.880 You know you're not, You're not gonna know what kind 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.319 of dancing. Um, I'm focused on hip hop right now, 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.080 but I just took a jazz plunk for the first 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.000 time kind of a few weeks ago, and I love it. 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:20.160 I think that's my style, honestly, I really do. I 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:22.840 think it's really close to kind of gymnastics a little bit, 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.240 and just in terms of sharp movements that I can 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.400 relate to. So so where can you take that. I 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:30.960 really would love to go on tour with an artist, anybody. 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:33.480 I would love to new music videos, commercials. I've already 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:38.160 done one commercial Old Navies coming out. I'm really excited. Yeah, 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.840 I just love to any any place that there's a 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:42.920 stage and I could just get out there and move 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:45.720 and just tell a story, whether it's you know, crunk 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:49.920 or funnier, happy, whatever it is, upbeat or more contemporary 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.319 even I love to just move and tell that story 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:57.920 and now a quick break. You seem to also have 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:01.480 a really important story to tell other younger girls who 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.439 are coming up in elite sports. Do you do that? 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:06.920 Do you talk to young women who are in middle 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:09.480 school or in high school who are whether they're you know, 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:12.640 in elite gymnastics or tennis or anything, you found a 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:16.319 way to speak to those communities. I have before. I 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:18.559 do a lot of gymnastics camps in the summer where 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.200 I'm a coach or I'm a special guest, and they'll 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.280 have me come and speak a lot of times. Um, 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:26.040 I do speak, but a lot of girls. I find 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:31.440 that at those gymnastics camps specifically, UM, the girls gain 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:33.440 a lot more from me being a coach to them 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:35.640 rather than me like you know, speaking in the building 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.439 them my life story or whatever it is. Um. But 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:40.760 you know, they just love that. And I love being 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:42.959 able to help somebody achieve their goals get better in 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:46.120 a little bit, in a little way, whether it's just 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:48.280 like a little mental cue, like all you need is 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:51.400 just think go big or something, you know, and they're like, oh, 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:53.760 my god, all all I did was to do what 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:56.000 you told me to do. That I made it was amazing. 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:58.079 That just brings me so much joy. I really love 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:02.160 to to do that. Um inspired. But aside from kind 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:06.600 of the gymnastics community, not necessarily tell us about the 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:16.320 Olympic dream and did that die completely when you got injured? No, So, like, 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:19.920 here's my thing. I have really like vivid dreams, you guys, 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:23.320 like messages like come to me in my dreams. And 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:25.600 I made about it myself that whenever I would have 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.280 a dream that had a very specific message, like I 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:29.680 was going to go for it. But even if I 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:31.880 didn't make it like I was going to try. So 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:38.400 after you know, COVID happened and Olympics got pushed back year, 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:40.120 all of a sudden, I'm having all these dreams that 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:43.360 I'm in the Olympics, you guys. And I was like, no, 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:46.600 like I thought this was long and gone. I was like, 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:48.720 I already went through that, Like I thought I did 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:52.640 that already. Um So I did try to go for 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:56.920 Unfortunately didn't work out, just because balancing college my senior 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.160 year in college and trying to get back to those 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:02.120 forty hour regiment was just a little bit too much. 0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:05.400 But um, I do still do gymnastics all the time 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.880 for events like this. You're commercials for jobs. Everybody loves that. 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:10.840 I can flip, but I do love to do always 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:15.480 just do gymnastics and that far away, you know, So 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:17.600 I don't know. I'm just keeping it in the back pocket. 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:20.720 Just OK. I love that. And it sounds like you 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:24.640 have the healthiest relationship with gmnastics that you've ever had, 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:28.040 so perhaps that's what's gonna get you to reach your 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:31.840 Olympic dreams. Absolutely, I really do feel like I wasn't 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:34.440 ready at that time. I do now realize it was 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:37.200 a blessing in disguise. I wasn't really ready. I wasn't 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:42.880 fully developed and mentally and physically even just to take 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.360 on that whole world. I feel like I feel like 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:47.760 I would have been just a head case. So I'm 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:50.960 grateful for it. You mentioned before as part of this, 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:53.080 you know of your training that there was a lot 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.200 around weight, a lot around food. What's your relationship with 0:14:56.280 --> 0:15:00.600 food like today? It's tricky, It comes and go. It's 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:04.640 like I don't know. I try not to think about 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:06.440 it too much because I feel like once I do 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.520 start thinking about it over and over or just like 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.320 really deeply, which is I think deeply about a lot 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:17.240 of things. Unfortunately, overthinker, I feel like it does kind 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.400 of take me back to the past in that whole place. Um. 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.080 So I try to just go one day at a time, 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:26.400 just take it as it comes by trying not to 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:29.000 overthink it. That's just where I'm at with it. How 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:33.040 do you, Reckon Tyler, think about what happened in terms 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:37.640 of gymnastics and the sexual abuse scandal. You weren't directly 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:40.680 affected by that, where you Yeah, Oh, I'm sorry, I 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:42.640 didn't even realize that. It's okay, I didn't mean I 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:46.760 never told my story. Okay. What was your relationship to 0:15:47.480 --> 0:15:51.160 Nasser and the and the sexual abuse scandal? Um? Well, 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.320 you know, in the elite world, we had these camps 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.000 every month that we were going to in Texas, the 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:59.840 Curly Ranch. So he was at the Curly Ranch a 0:15:59.880 --> 0:16:03.200 lot out of times. But my experience with him came 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:09.040 actually in twelve that the PNG Championships UM, which is 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:10.760 a big meat for US. It's like kind of the 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:14.760 qualifier to make the national team for USA and UM 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:16.880 at the time, I was at Ohio and so we 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:18.720 were kind of like an underdog Jim, and I really 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:21.040 did feel like my coach at the time was just 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:23.360 kind of doing any and everything to get on her 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:27.720 goods onto Marta Karoly she was ahead of USA Gymnastics team. Say, 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:29.560 I feel like she was trying to do anything to 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:31.680 get on her good side and just make you know, 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:34.720 make her look good, make me look good, just anything. 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:37.800 So if Marta said go to Nasser, we were going 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:40.960 to Nasser. And um, my first real injury was at 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:45.760 that meet PNG Championships. I tore my hamstring, of course 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:50.560 right and I had like a high hamstring dare, so 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:53.200 you know, he was working on me on the table. 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:54.960 It was pretty It was kind of in public too, 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.880 so I was like looking around and my coach actually 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:02.480 I felt like she saw it, but she didn't say anything, 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.000 just kind of like looks away, looks on her phone. 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:07.880 So then I was like, well, we're not saying anything, 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.040 you know. So I've never said anything even like until 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:13.400 just now, Like is the first time I've ever even 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:15.920 said something. Because I feel like even when a lot 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.240 of girls were coming out, I feel like a lot 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.520 of people had a way worse than I did because 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:22.720 it was just that one time, and I was like, 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.959 I'm never you know, like, I was like, you know, 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.119 my coach, We're never going back to him again, like 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:29.160 ever again. And she's like why not? You know, she's 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:30.679 getting mad at me. I'm like, I don't care, Like 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:33.080 we're not doing it. So I never went back to him. 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:34.960 I was at least able to have enough courage to 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:37.560 tell her like, we can't go back to him. But 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.919 I which is incredible, by the way, and the twelve 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:44.679 and so did to have the fortitude at twelve to 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:48.439 know that that's just not an acceptable way to be 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:50.760 treated and to actually use your voice to stand up 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:54.440 for yourself is so incredible. I mean, you are amazing. 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.240 It's really incredible that you were able to do that. Thanks, 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.359 and I'm so sorry that happened to you. Okay. Do 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:04.240 you feel like the culture of us A Gymnastics is changing? 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:08.480 I really, I really hope it does change. Um, I 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:10.560 don't know if it's changing enough. Honestly, I would like 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:14.080 to see like just drastic changes, but we have. We 0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:17.840 do have women leading the team now, which I really love. Um. 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.479 You know, Martha was a woman as well, but there 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.199 was a lot of male coaches still involved, and I 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.560 just would love to see a lot more women. But 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:26.760 you know, we do need mail coaches for spotting and 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.160 just like catch me if I you know, like a girl, 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:31.879 I'm not. I'm not catching you, you know, like, so 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.240 you better find a man to catch it. But yeah, 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:37.520 I would like to see, I think, more change and 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:41.200 just more people being proactive about the change. I feel 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:44.159 like we like we all rally really hard for just 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.560 like one moment and then it just kind of dies down. 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:50.200 And I would just like to see consistency throughout. But 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.800 you know, there's only so much we can do, and 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.919 it's just I mean, I feel like the worst people 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:59.240 are always at camps and schools because that's where the 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:03.360 kids are, so that's where the predators are, and it's 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:07.720 just so um. In your story, when I was twelve, 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:10.800 I fired my tennis coach, and everyone was so horrified 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:12.200 that I I would fire him because he was amazing that 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.480 my parents didn't want to fire him, and I called him. 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:16.679 They made me call him myself to fire him. But 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:20.520 he turned out to be a huge pedophile and it 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:23.159 was one of those things where no one, you know, 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:27.720 I think that the tendency is not to expect the worser. 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.080 It's to expect the best of someone who is an 0:19:30.119 --> 0:19:34.720 expertise in something, and it definitely overshadows a lot of 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.679 other things. But I agree. Thank you so much for 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:41.040 talking to us. You are amazing, amazing, Thank you guys. 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:44.120 That's your speed quick so we'll ask you some quickly. 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:50.280 A fun party? Who leaves you star struck? Oh? I 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:54.399 love that. We've never gotten that. It's such an obvious one. 0:19:56.240 --> 0:20:02.160 It's jaw dropping. She's amazing me. I'd love to one day. Right. 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:05.200 What are you reading right now? My goodness, I'm reading. 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:08.560 This book is actually called Mindset Um. I started it 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:11.520 in college, but it's just basically learning how to have 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.920 a growth mindset from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:17.960 which you know, I had a fixed mindset and I 0:20:17.960 --> 0:20:19.880 would like to think I have a growth mindset now 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.760 and if not, I'm working towards having a growth mindset. 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.399 Where would you like to go on vacation? Bora, bora? Ready, 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:30.440 I'm ready now. Everybody likes to take I'm ready to go. 0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:34.200 I'm ready. Now. How would your friends describe you? Oh, 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:39.680 my goodness, I think crazy, A look crazy funny like 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:42.359