Aly Raisman

Where'd you grow up?

Um, I grew up in Newton Nita mass.

Yeah.

And I just – I have so many great memories of that.

And then I just loved – I used to beg my coaches to let me stay later at practice.

And actually, thankfully, they wouldn't let me because they didn't want me to burn out.

But I was so sad to leave the gym.

I was obsessed.

Like, I remember –

I would miss Halloween even at a young age because I wanted to be at the gym.

I was just like so driven.

I think you have to be like born with something a little bit extra crazy in you to be that intense.

But I loved it.

I'm very close with my parents I still am so very grateful for that because the older I've got I've realized a lot of people don't have good relationships with their family so I didn't realize when I was younger just how lucky I am for that and I also appreciate how

when I didn't do well at a meet or practice they didn't get mad at me and they were even more I think loving and supporting when I didn't do as well and if they weren't supportive I would have never survived like I had teammates when I was younger that were actually better than me but because their parents put so much pressure on them they just couldn't do it I don't blame them I wouldn't have been able to do it because we're already I think our own worst critic and then our coaches are hard on us and then you go home and your parents are on you it's just so I'm so glad my

I completely agree.

And I think that it also maybe without the parents realizing it, it's I think it teaches the kid that your only value is being a good athlete or being very successful.

And I think it also so many athletes struggle with their worth being wrapped up in how they do in the sport.

And I know a lot of athletes struggle with that.

And even for the Olympics this summer, so many athletes struggle.