Dominique Moceanu

An unsettling memoir by an Olympic gymnast who was part of the Magnificent Seven in the 1996 games - winning the first-ever Gold medal for the USA in team competition. The story covers Dominique's struggle through the years, both at home and with her coaches, illustrating that men in both areas of her life traumatized her deeply. There were many secrets - one which would later surface and transform her personal life in unexpected ways. The book is very revealing with respect to women's gymnastics and pushes us all to scrutinize what we ask of these young girls as they enter the sport on the country's behalf. This is a very timely read in 2021 due to the failure of the US Olympic Committee in protecting numerous, young gymnasts from sexual abuse from the longtime team doctor. Yes I would recommend this book -- Reviewed by bconlin… (more)

At the age of thirteen, Dominique Moceanu became the youngest United States national gymnastics champion ever, bursting into the spotlight with awe-inspiring performances. In this autobiography, Dominique talks about her passion for the sport, about her teammates, about her intensive training schedule, about her life in and out of the gym.

Included are an introduction by Bella Karolyi, a timeline of Dominique’s gymnastic journey, photographs of her family and from competition [all with an explanatory comment], a list of Dominique’s favorite things, a guide to gymnastic events and scoring, and basic gymnastic moves and positions.

This book reads like a teenager's diary, which pulls the reader into the story and makes them feel as if the gymnast is talking directly to them. None of the much-later-revealed harshness and mistreatment by the coaches is included here; rather, it’s a sort of a love story to the sport from one of its shining stars.… (more)