Chalked Up

Jennifer Sey took up gymnastics at six, drawn by childhood fantasies of Olympic gold and of becoming someone like Nadia Comaneci. Her talent showed quickly, and by eleven she was competing at top international meets against future stars such as Mary Lou Retton. Her family gave up nearly everything to support her climb toward the senior national team, the World Championships, and the 1988 Games.

As the goals grew bigger, Sey started to lose herself. Chasing victory, she set aside her own needs, her health, and her wellbeing, while the adults around her looked away from what was happening to her. This memoir, Chalked Up, examines what the medals concealed: an intense drive that turned into anorexia, injuries that went untreated, coaches who crossed lines, and businesspeople who exploited a child.

Sey writes about denial, the pull of success, and the damage done by a culture that praises underage, underweight girls for winning. Her account also argues that children need balance in their lives.