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During the 1976, “Delighted Weeks” try the most famous let you know on tv. “Dumb Like Songs” of the Paul McCartney and you will Wings topped the newest Billboard charts. And you may, one to june within the Montreal, the country, in addition to a great six-year-dated Jennifer Sey, is introduced to Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, the first one to score the best 10 regarding Olympics.

“And, you are sure that, the fact that she was just fourteen and you may she appeared as if a tiny girl, which had been really – that had a visible impact, I think not simply to your me personally, but many young girls nationwide,” Jennifer claims.

During the time Jennifer is actually residing Cherry Hill, New jersey, bringing categories at the Have a tendency to-Moor Gymnastics. After watching Nadia, she begged the woman parents so that their go as often just like the you’ll. Jennifer in the future inserted their class and you will competed on weekends.

“You are aware, in the past, they certainly were real competitions. Particularly, it wasn’t for instance the ‘everyone gets good trophy.’ For those who were not sufficient, there is certainly no trophy. This is actually fairly cutthroat,” Jennifer says.

“And i just I loved everything about they. We liked how it experienced. I cherished being frightened. We cherished studying new things. I enjoyed my personal teammates. And i just left attempting to go a little more about. And i merely remaining version of doing ideal.”

Former Gymnastics Champ Jennifer Sey Speaks Out Against Violations In her Sport

Jennifer went to the gym three to four minutes a week for three and you can four-hour means. Immediately following couple of years, she decided she wished to participate having a try on while making the brand new U.S. federal team.

“And i also believed to my mothers – We came domestic and i also is actually for example, ‘I cannot do that using this gym. I must see other gymnasium,’ ” Jennifer remembers. “At 9, I happened to be demanding to visit various other, greatest fitness center that had educated elite group professional athletes. And so we made a decision to go to some other fitness center within the New jersey, a little after that down the road clover.”

“She try an amazing human beings. And that i believe this woman is that which you a teacher will likely be,” Jennifer states. “You know, she’d keeps considered herself – she is because the passed away – an instructor to begin with, an individual who type of utilized athletics to improve sure little girls.

“And you will, indeed, I remember the second she expected me one to june -you are aware, i instructed extended during the summer – and she told you, ‘Is there everything you should do today?’ And, in her own brain, she are thinking of providing myself a single day off and so i could go do something enjoyable with my nearest and dearest. And i also was such as for example, ‘I wish to perform a supplementary bullet regarding ray degree, just like the I am focusing on this ability.’ And she believed that was very funny. However, she try always promising me to feel, form of, entire individuals.

“But you to definitely wasn’t everything i wished during the time. I wanted to stay the big six in the country. And so at 13, I got a highly major dialogue using my parents, therefore we arrive at measure the different options.”

You will find it day growing in the future getting Jennifer: the girl fifteenth birthday. Ten is the decades gymnasts can go up and you can participate on elder situations such as the community titles plus the Olympics. She know she was required to find a gym that could score their truth be told there.

After visiting about three better gyms nationwide, Jennifer selected Allentown, Pennsylvania. From the moment she moved within the, Jennifer noticed anything at that gymnasium had been various other.

“We had been considered two times a day. We were berated for what i ate and whatever you seemed particularly,” Jennifer recalls. “You are sure that, I remember clearly, after a half a dozen hours habit, my personal mother introduced myself good bagel. And you will a mentor snatched it away from my personal give for example, ‘You’re perhaps not planning to eat that, will you be?’ “