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| (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) |
The 29-year-old West Allis, Wisconsin native coaches at M&M Gymnastics. She is also a mother of one child with another one on the way and gave me some time before her induction ceremony to catch up on her career and continuing contribution to the sport.
Rudy Martinez: Your mother and father have been gymnasts for years. You obviously grew up in the sport spending a lot time at M&M Gymnastics which your parents founded in your home state of Wisconsin. Being that you were always surrounded by the sport, did you ever think about being anything but a gymnast?
Chellsie Memmel: Not really. I was so lucky to fall in love with gymnastics right away and it's always been a part of my life. It’s just something that I love doing.
It’s been 14 years since you were last here. Prior to that, you competed at the Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic where you racked up three gold medals as well as a bronze. What went through your mind when USA Gymnastics called you to come here and compete on the world team?
It was a lot of emotions. The first one was that I felt bad for the girls that were injured but I was so ready because I just competed at Pan Ams and was so ready to be part of the world team. I just jumped right in because I literally flew from the Dominican Republic to the ranch in Houston for camp and then I went right to Anaheim.
You did pretty well because you helped the team win team gold and then you placed first on the uneven bars. Can you tell me about your experience?
It was an amazing experience and like I said, I didn’t have time to stop and think about it. It was just like I got here and go, go, go training, competition and I’m just so proud of what we accomplished as a team. The things that we had to deal with: the injuries, the sickness, and not having a complete team when they competed in the team finals. So it was an amazing thing that we were able to do.
By then I noticed that it was clear you were going to be a specialist on the uneven bars. What makes that apparatus so comfortable for you?
It’s an event that I like doing, like training on, and I just like swinging. It’s a natural event for me.
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| Chellsie Memmel in action during uneven bars event (Photo by Peter Read Miller /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) |
Since 2005, you and Nastia Liukin were always competing for the All-Around as teammates. In 05’ and 08' both of you were at it at Nationals and in 06’ both of you tied for the title. Was the competition fierce or was it a friendly banter?
It was a healthy competition. We both pushed each other to be better and I was always okay with the outcome either way but like I said it was a competition that made us both be better.
Having Nastia on your team was better than having her against you representing another country, right?
I would absolutely rather have her as a teammate than as competition for another team.
Aside from her being a teammate, what did she mean to you?
She was overall a great teammate, great person and she’s a nice person to have on your side.
Watching gymnastics over the past 25 years, I’ve seen that some athletes struggle to make the Olympic team. You had an injury yourself leading up to Beijing. How did you deal with that mentally?
Injuries are never fun to deal with but it was always thinking about the ultimate goal of making the Olympic team. That was my goal and that was my dream. That dream is what kept me going during those hard days coming back from the injury when you can’t do as much as you want to do.
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| Chellsie Memmel of the United States is comforted by coach Martha Karolyi after falling on the uneven bars in qualifying. (Photo by Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT via Getty Images) |
From your point of view, how would you rate your Olympic experience being in Beijing in 2008?
It had its ups and downs. Getting injured the second day of training was definitely a low point, but then still being able to be part of the team and help contribute on the uneven bars to win a silver medal was such a high point. Being in the village, being able to complete my dream of being on the Olympic team was amazing.
With your time being there, who was your favorite athlete outside of your sport to meet?
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| (Photo by Peter Read Miller /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) |
With your time being there, who was your favorite athlete outside of your sport to meet?
It was really cool because we got to meet Michael Phelps in the village, met some of the US Basketball team and then Andrew Bogut, who lives in Wisconsin, and was competing for Australia and played for the Milwaukee Bucks at the time. It’s cool when you see those people representing their country at the Olympics that’s really cool.
After being part of the Olympics, you tried giving it a shot in 2012 for London, could you tell me about that?
I wanted one more shot and I still felt good body wise and health wise and thought it was worth one more try because of the love that I have for gymnastics
Do you think it’s a coincidence that your Hall of Fame induction takes place in the very city that you began your rise 14 years ago?
I think it’s pretty cool that it's back in Anaheim where I competed on my first world team. It’s an honor and it’s nice to be recognized along with other athletes and coaches who have done amazing things. I think it’s a nice club to be in.
Speaking of a club that’s completely different from what you hear about, you’re a judge and have been one for several years now. What it’s like being a judge having been a gymnast? Gymnasts are normally afraid of judges. They fear them or dislike them because they were docked on a score in the past. What’s it like to be on the other side?
I learned a lot. I learned a lot being on the other side of it and judges really do their best to keep it fair and try to judge gymnasts the same. It’s what I try to do and I feel like I can really appreciate some of what the gymnasts are doing because I was so fresh out of competing myself. All the judges have been so helpful including the US judges, by being welcoming and instructive because it’s a completely different side of the sport. It gives you not quite the same adrenaline rush as competing but I mean, I get a little nervous before every routine because you’re helping decide a rank order.
You’re an essential part of your family’s gym in Wisconsin. Is there anyone or anything specific about gymnastics that you coach?
I have a group TAPS level 7 that I coach and am currently helping with our pre-elites as well. So those are the two groups that I work with.
Are any of them on the Olympic path or are going to be one day?
The Olympics have made it to where we're down to such a small team every four years but the girls that I work with, some of them are very talented and all work very hard and I can see them all going far in the sport.
You have been growing quite a family of recent. How has the experience of becoming a parent been for you so far?
It’s been a lot of fun. It’s definitely challenging but every day has been an adventure and I love when my son comes into the gym with me. It’s so fun and my husband and I are so excited to be having another one in November.
The excitement of the United States having another Olympics has been growing bigger since Los Angeles clinched as host city in 2028. With you being a judge, do you think you’ll be able to participate as one or maybe in some other way?
I would definitely like to be involved. We’ll have to see with judging. It takes time to build up your credentials in judging and become a certain category to be able to judge at the Olympics. I’d have to do well, judge well this quad (every four years), and test really well next quad so I’m not gonna hold my breath that I’ll be on the floor but I think it would be very cool.
Tell us something about Chellsie Memmel that not many people know?
My shirt could be an indicator because I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. It’s on my twitter and Instagram a bit and I’m a big Harry Potter nerd.◾
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