I was a gymnast for 13 years, so I was heavy into sports.
In some ways the ACL tear was a blessing. I had hesitated to return to elite gymnastics after the 2008 Olympics. I told myself I had already accomplished so much, and the road was just going to get harder if I continued.
Growing up I definitely looked up to Dominique Moceanu. She was my favorite gymnast and she was on that '96 Olympic team. She was always so fun to watch. I kind of wanted to model my career after hers.
I will find out what the normal life is like. I will be a coach. I have achieved everything I could achieve in gymnastics.
At 14, you think you compete, you retire and you get a job. I didn't think gymnastics was a career that was going to change my life.
I've always lived my gymnastics career with a lot of passion and a lot of purpose.
Gymnastics, especially in my family, is more than a sport. It's our life, it's our careers, it's our family business.
I struggled with self-esteem issues as a young girl, and it was not until my gymnastics career was completed in 2000 that I realized my accomplishments would not have been possible without my type of body, and I finally started to appreciate and celebrate myself.
It is fine to be all focused on gymnastics if that is what you want to do, but once you are finished with gymnastics, what are you going to do?
I don't see myself coaching gymnastics. I see myself involved in the sport in the future but involved in other things as well.
