S3 Ep. 6: And The Crowd Is Loving It: Sophina DeJesus and Nia Dennis

American Prodigy: Becoming Great

Blue Wire

Sports

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode looks at how Black gymnasts came to create spaces of joy for themselves and how college programs benefited from that. After Olympic dreams are dashed because of injury, some elite gymnasts, like Sophina DeJesus and Nia Dennis, opt to compete at top-notch college programs. Sophina and Nia talk about their journeys at UCLA and how they created floor routines viewed by millions online. Valorie Kondos Field (“Miss Val”), UCLA’s famed retired head coach, describes the diversity at UCLA gymnastics as a happy accident. The gymnasts’ mothers, Maria DeJesus and Deetra Dennis share the different paths they took to protect their daughters while encouraging them to embrace their authentic selves. Click here for the transcript of episode 6 Click here for the Blue Wire Newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before we start, a quick content note.
0:04.8	This episode contains accounts of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, suicide, and racism.
0:11.0	You'll also hear some swearing.
0:16.0	Previously, on American prodigies.
0:19.3	We definitely over-trained.
0:21.1	It was like the way things were done then.
0:24.0	You just keep training and going until something breaks if it doesn't break, that means
0:27.4	you're really strong and you're going to be a champion.
0:29.8	You know, when something like this happens, USA Gymnastics, you know, the higher-ups say,
0:35.4	well, wherever the parents, the parents are the ones that are supposed to keep them safe.
0:40.4	Part of Gabby's style that is so beautiful to watch even now, even reviewing, going back,
0:45.8	watching her, is she's so crisp, she's so technical, it's so beautiful.
0:50.4	Her floor routines are stunning without music because I hate all of her musical choices.
0:54.4	And when you could compete on your terms with music, you like that move, June, you can move
0:59.4	how you naturally want to move.
1:01.4	I got teens.
1:07.4	In 2016, Sophia DeJesus scored a 9.925 out of 10 on her epic floor routine for the UCLA Gymnastics team.
1:17.4	Even if you don't follow Gymnastics, you actually might recognize the name.
1:21.4	And after what she did this weekend, Mike millions more know the name.
1:23.4	Sophia put on a jaw-dropping performance on Saturday at her Bruins.
1:27.4	Hosted Utah in a top 10 showdown at Polypavilion.
1:30.4	This was her first floor routine, actually, of the season.
	...

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