McKayla Maroney
GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast
GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast
4.7 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 18 October 2023
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On the 10th anniversary of McKayla Maroney's final elite competition in Antwerp, Belgium we revisit her 2016 interview. The Olympic and World Champion settles long debated gymternet questions and we find out what caused the physical and emotional breakdown that ultimately ended her elite career. We discuss:
- If she feared blowback from speaking frankly about her experiences.
- The skill she tried that Marta Karolyi told her to never to do again.
- The circumstances surrounding her injuries and multiple surgeries.
- The post-Olympic tour conditions and their effects on her health.
- She answers fans suspicions that her injuries are due to poor nutrition.
- Some fans claim that All Olympia Gymnastics Center (AOGC) break gymnasts, her responds.
- Did the advice she received from her coaches contribute to her injuries?
- How she dealt with self identity as she struggled to stay healthy.
- Discusses the role of humility and insecurity through the Olympic selection process.
- Does she think the men's team should be more like the women's program in order to be more successful?
- Dealing with criticism on social media.
- She describes her personal experiences as an elite gymnast, and their influence on changes she would like to see made at the national team level.
- Who does she credit with teaching her that amazing vault technique: her second coach, Howie Liang at Gym-Max or her Olympic coach, Artur Akopyan at All Olympia Gymnastics Center (AOGC)?
- Why did she go overtime in 2013 at the Antwerp World Championships on floor
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RESOURCES
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- Dial 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Dr. Alan Goldberg's article on Coaching Abuse.
- Safe4Athlete: What every parent and athlete should know.
- Eating Disorder Hotline
- Treatment centers for athletes with eating disorders EDRS or McCallum Place.
- 24-Hour Suicide hotline 1 (800) 273-8255
- 2023 World Headquarters: Every Worlds Podcast, videos, interviews and data
- Simone Biles Interview 2023 Classic
- Shilese Jones Flight Series Profile
- Spencer's The Balance Beam Situation
- Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
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RELATED EPISODES
- McKayla Maroney's Coaches respond to her interview
- Aly and Lynn Raisman Interview
- Steve Penny ousted as USA Gymnastics President
- 243: Senate Bill 534
- 241: The Pittsburgh Incident
- 163: ENOUGH
- 221: Jane Doe vs. USAG Doctor
- 223: Tasha Schwikert
- 48: Kyla Ross
- Episode 31: Elise Ray
- Episode 28: Kristen Maloney
- Episode 33: Simone Biles & Her Coaches
- Episode 55: Worlds Wrap Up & Ferlito-Gate
- Episode 54: Event Finals Recap from 2013 World Championships
- Episode 53: All Around Finals Recap from Antwerp World Championships
- Episode 52: Triumph & Heartbreak Prelims Recap from Antwerp Worlds
- 114: Fallout From Gymnastike’s Handling of Maroney Hack & Tumble Episodes 3 and 4 with special guest Jenni Pinches!
- Episode 16: Elizabeth Price
- 146: Taylor Rice and The 2015 NCAA Championships
- Episode 9: Chellsie Memmel, Swiss Cup & FIG Presidential Proposals
- 151: Danell Leyva
- Episode 15: Joan Ryan Author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
- 232: Conflict of Interest
World Headquarters
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So I was just sitting in the corner hiding from media like ice bucketing and they're like don't limp, smile, like make sure you just look like you're fine because that's the only way that you're gonna stay on this team. |
| 0:11.3 | The gold medal winner, Michaela Moroni. |
| 0:13.4 | Michaela Moroni. |
| 0:14.2 | Michaela Moroni, too, Michaela Moroni, who is part of the fierce five at the London Olympics. |
| 0:18.1 | Well, the girl whose smirk wants to pull you in. |
| 0:24.5 | How did that make you feel? |
| 0:26.7 | Um, I've just seen so many people |
| 0:29.9 | just be so hurt. |
| 0:31.4 | That camp was like 30 days long, like no day on. |
| 0:34.3 | 30 days in a row? |
| 0:36.1 | I was taught that resting was lazy. |
| 0:38.9 | My knees hurt so bad. |
| 0:40.5 | I was just told that I was making it up and I was needed to lose weight. |
| 0:44.1 | Your coaches were telling you this? |
| 0:45.9 | Yeah, I was so unhealthy and tired that I couldn't get out of bed. |
| 0:49.7 | I mean, you talked about feeling like suicidal and having an anxiety. |
| 0:53.2 | It's weird what depression can view you. |
| 0:55.2 | It sucks everything out of you. |
| 0:58.3 | What kind of things would you like to change so that people could stay longer, be healthy and not, you know, |
| 1:04.7 | and also not feel so guilty when it's time to move on? |
| 1:07.7 | I think that's definitely something that could really help the next generation of girls |
| 1:12.1 | if they really just look at that and see, like, how can we become better |
... |
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