What Does It Take To Become An Olympic Gymnast?

If you have heard anything about the sport of gymnastics, then you have probably heard about gymnastics in the Olympics as well. Gymnastics is one of the most popular sports in the Olympics and the top gymnasts often are very well known after they compete in the Olympics. Have you ever wondered what it takes to be one of those young gymnasts competing on a global stage? It is a lot more than you might generally think.

The US Olympic Women's Gymnastics team consists of only 5 members who are chosen by a committee that watches the gymnasts very closely to make sure they pick the best ones to compete in the Olympics. Most aspiring-Olympians practice 40+ hours a week and opt for home-schooling programs instead of attending school so they have more time to practice. Many people think this is bad for the Olympians because they are not getting a good education but others argue that it is all worth it. 

Once a gymnast gets past the committee and makes it onto the 5 member team, their work is just getting started. They have to follow many rules and train harder than they ever have before. As much of a relief it is to know that you made the team, it is also intimidating to know that you will be training very hard for a long time and that you cannot mess up or else you will get kicked off the team. There is a lot of weight on their shoulders. 

Olympic gymnasts practice every single day, for almost the entire day. The practices are very intense and they are hardly ever standing still or have rest time. Typically, they have to get up very early to practice and then continue practicing all day, with the exception of breaks for food.

You may be wondering how this could possible be healthy for them because they seem to be very overworked. In reality, it is a lot of work that is very tough on the body, but the Olympic coaches are very knowledgeable on the sport and can make sure the gymnasts are getting the rest that they need. They have mandatory ice baths, sleep schedules, heat times, and so much more. So while it all may be structured and may seem very demanding on the body, they are also demanded to get rest because the coaches know how tough it is on the body. The last thing the coaches want to do is have one of the gymnasts get injured, so they make sure they are well rested and aware of everything they are doing during their time training for the Olympics.

I have just given you a very brief overview of the intense schedules that Olympic gymnasts have to go through. There are much more details that go into it such as doctors appointments, diets, limited social life, etc. A very select few make the cut to be an Olympic gymnast, which just proves even more that it is a very demanding sport. 

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