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 show more 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 show less

What is it that drives us to achieve almost superhuman feats of physical prowess? In many cases it appears that a dysfunctional family is lurking in the background, as is the case with Dominique Moceanu, 1996 Olympic Gold medalist. This book is really a fascinating read, and it has it all - - overbearing father, abuse, vicious coaches, nurturing coaches, tales of practice, heartbreak, financial ruin, drugs, and elite-level gymnastics. A quick read, to be sure, but a fascinating look at the show more underside of elite gymnastics. I have to say that this book does not paint a flattering picture of the Karolyi camp or its influence on the US gymnastics program. Worth reading. show less

My inner 14-year-old was very excited to read this book and my 30-year-old self was not disappointed either. Dominique Moceanu, the youngest American gymnast to win a gold medal, spills all here in her memoir. From dealing with a verbally abusive father and coaches to meeting a long-lost sister in her late-20s to being denied a comeback in gymnastics because of Marta Karolyi's control over the sport, there isn't a dull moment in this memoir. Recommended for fans of gymnastics and anyone show more (like me) who remembers cheering on the Magnificent Seven during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. This may have crossover appeal for teens; I think they'd be into the dramatic story (most of which takes place over Dominique's teenage years), but I'm not sure they'd know who Dominique Moceanu is. show less

I happened to see that Dominique Moceanu had written a memoir, so I thought it would be something a little different to read. It starts with her discovery when she is in her 20s that she has a sister who was born without legs that was given up for adoption right after she was born. The book alternates between Dominique developing a relationship with her long lost sister and stories of her gymnastics career. She tells of her abusive father who pushed too hard, the emotional abuse inflicted on show more her by Bela and Marta Karolyi as she trained for the 1996 Olympics, her experiments with drugs and alcohol after her early stardom, the lawsuit she filed against her parents for basically stealing all the money she made, struggles with body image, etc.

The writing style was juvenile with a lot of italics and exclamation points, but it made it a quick read, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. show less