You all know Shannon Miller. She needs no introduction to the gymnastics community because she is a legend in our sport. Shannon is the most decorated American gymnast, male or female, in history, having won more Olympic and World Championships medals than any other American gymnast. She has earned seven Olympic medals and nine World Championships medals since her elite international debut in 1990. Her tally of five medals (two silver, three bronze) at the 1992 Olympics was the most medals earned by a U.S. athlete at those Games. A member of two Olympic Teams, Shannon led the “Magnificent Seven” gymnastics team to the USA’s first ever team gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and she won an individual gold on the balance beam. Shannon is also the only American to win consecutive World all-around titles (1993, 1994). She is also the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-Time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame – Twice! (Individual (2006) and Team (2008).
8
TECHNIQUE • JULY 2012
This gymnastics standout not only excelled in the gym, but also excelled in academics. After her gymnastics career, she went on to receive her undergraduate degree in marketing and entrepreneurship and her law degree from Boston College. Since this time, she has gotten married and has one son, Rocco, who is 2. And, probably the biggest news, she is a cancer survivor. We asked Shannon to write an article for us about what she has been up to and what she is involved with these days. Here’s Shannon’s story! hat an exciting year for gymnasts, fans and everyone involved with the sport! While I’ll always consider myself a gymnast, I tend to do more watching than flipping these days. I just returned from a recent trip to London in preparation for the Olympic Games. As an analyst for Yahoo! Sports, I have the pleasure of reporting on the incredible display of talent the world of gymnastics has to offer. However, this past year, I have also added a new way to view the sport...through my 2-year-old son’s eyes. Will he be a gymnast? Who knows? I want him to be physically active and find a sport that he is as passionate about as I am gymnastics. What I’m sure of is that by allowing him to begin taking Parent & Tot classes at a young age, I am giving him the opportunity to gain valuable skills such as balance, flexibility, strength and coordination. Beyond that, he simply loves it!