The Aggressive Mentality of Balance Beam 

And now suni is the backbone of the USA Olympic team. She deserves all of it and more!

Sunisa is such a genuine and sweet person. She is as loving as her family. People don’t know the hardships of the Hmong people. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders going into the olympics and she still went in strong. Congrats Suni! You are amazing!

Katelyn Ohashi is such a great gymnast. Every competition she was in during elite she always looked sad, overworked and under appreciated. The change in her personality and spirit once she joined UCLA was amazing! I'm so glad she got her confidence back😊

The problem with the Karolyi's was that the kids were just disposable to them. If one girl broke their leg, there was always another elite gymnast waiting to take her spot

Can't believe Kathy Johnson started when she 12 and still made it to elite and the national team that is INSANE. Even starting gymnastics at age 7 is considered late let alone 12, she must have been very naturally talented.

Suni and Kathy's stories got me bawling like a baby wow

Sunisa's coaches are honestly gems, what amazing people (as is she herself).

The typical "body" of gymnasts has changed so much. So many girls in the earlier years of gymnastics had eating disorders and were told to lose weight. Now it's not perfect, and body image is a huge issue for gymnasts but its become something totally different. All body types are beautiful and come in different shapes and sizes. if your reading this remember to eat today, your body deserves it. You should love yourself and your body.

holy crap...i was sobbing at kathy johnson’s segment/story. she was my mom’s favorite gymnast in high school and now she’s one of mine also, that was beautiful. 🤍 same with suni, i love her and her coaches seem so wonderful.

So surreal that Suni was featured here watching Nastia's AA beam routine during the Beijing Olympics. And now, Suni is an Olympic AA champion herself. ❤️🤟💪

My daughter, who is now 9, has a dream to be the first Hmong woman's artistic gymnastics Olympian.... Seeing Sunisa has made us so proud! My daughter will not be the first, but she will not be the last either. Sunisa has paved the way!

Sunisa just won a gold medal at the olimpics, such a wonderful girl.

"We need to also be aware of where that limit is and when to pull back and when to stop and to do no damage" THIS IS IMPORTANT. This is why Simone Biles did what she did.

Getting second to Simone is like getting first

The level of perfection they expect especially on the beam is probably one reason why some of these girls end up with eating disorders. The balance checks I get as far as deductions go but they're requiring these women to do something that their bodies weren't made to do. Which also plays a factor in why the window for their sport is so short. The over exercising and all the stress that is put on your muscles and joints when you're tumbling is something our bodies weren't made to do. I mean the fact that Shawn Johnson for example, didn't even get her first period until she was 17 and doing Dancing With The Stars is just mind blowing to me. How can these people essentially force these girl's bodies into delaying puberty? Looking like Laurie Hernandez and doing gymnastics is not a crime. Just because someone has curves doesn't mean they aren't fit or healthy. It just means they have a different body type.

Olga Korbut just sparkles in her interviews

Kathy talking about knowing when to pause and pull back makes Simone stepping out of the olympics more inspiring. These gymnastics should not risk and break their necks for ppl who give no shits about the sport unless it’s the olympics’s entertainment. Elite athletes don’t just quit bc they felt like quitting, they quit bc they NEED to, this is literally their entire life

I feel so bad for Dominique because they didn’t listen to her. Even after she fell and banged her head on the beam, they didn’t seek medical attention. They needed to take care of their bodies. The coaches had a duty to protect them.

Who is here after Sunisa Lee won Gold in Individual in the Olympics?

suni just won gold! So happy for her. This is proof that abusive, break-the-athlete-down mentality in coaching is not necessary. Look at how supportive, positive, and thoughtful of suni's state her coaches are compared to the Karolys (the romanian coaches)

Sunisa is a treasure. I absolutely ADORE her!!!!! Sunisa IS going to the Olympics, that much I know.

What was that Katelyn said, "didn't get coached the rest of the competition?" Are you kidding me? That's not "being tough" on your athlete that's psychological abuse. So outdated.

watching this after suni’s gold medal in the all-around is emotionally ruining me

Kathy Johnson’s story got me crying with joy and pride for her.

Dang it Kathy, I really did not want to sit here and cry on my lunch break in front of everyone...

off topic: sunni is the one person who i think makes wolf turns look elegant

When she said..... There's a little girl in me who has wanted this her whole life and I'M NOT LETTING HER DOWN!!!! Took me out....

I really hope Suni makes the olympic team she deserves it so much

14:20 listen to what she says. that is exactly what simone biles did, and y'all need to stop trashing her decision. she put herself first, no matter how hard it might've been

I'm glad that they focused quite a bit on Kathy's story. I had heard she started gymnastics at 12 and was in the olympics at 24, but I never saw footage before age 18 or knew details of her story. As a 5 year old girl in L.A. in 1984, the '84 Olympic gymnastics competition has always had a large and special place in my heart. It's why I started gymnastics and am still a fan today.

Kathy Johnson-Clarke always astounds me. She's one of my favorite gymnasts not just because of her talent, but her dedication to the sport speaks volumes. Not gonna lie, she made me feel for her when she recounted her struggles on the beam and then her triumph never fails to make me go in awe of her. I suggest that you find her other interviews through the years. She has *a lot* of insights on many things and you'll not get bored of her storytelling.

She’s now a gold medalist ⭐️

Suni has such a big heart, I want the world for her

My respect for Kathy and Sunni has just skyrocketed. These ladies are so strong.

Sunisa’s coaches seem great! Glad she is being coached in a healthy environment

Im not crying, you're crying...lol The ending got me though Kathy Johnson's final performance and Sunisa and her dad...wow that's powerful stuff.

SUNISA LEE WON GOLD TODAY ! WHAT A QUEEN

It breaks my heart to know that Suni’s Dad’s biggest hope was to go to Tokyo with her and watch her represent the USA in the olympics. I can imagine he is more than proud of her for making the team and just last night qualifying for the finals!! But it has to feel the worst knowing he can’t be there by her side and support her. I wish Suni, and the rest of the US team the best of luck on the rest of their olympic journey 💖

And now Suni's a silver medal Olympian, going for Gold. Her future is bright! UPDATE: Silver AND Gold!!

So cool seeing the behind the scenes of my girls. They're a tough bunch!!!

We need Chellsie's comeback so badly culturally! To show you can do gymnastics without overtraining and be smart about it.

SUNNI IS GOING TO THE OLYMPICS!!! I'M MANIFESTING IT!!!

Suni and Kathy...so many feels. Also, the lil latinas looking up to Laurie warms 🥺❤️

“If you don’t want to understand I’m sorry” -bela That is NOT how you coach children. If they don’t understand, you need to change your coaching tactics. Not everyone learns the same way and it’s your job to convey the information in a way that makes it understandable to them.

Kathy Johnson's interview parts had me so emotional! Seeing how she still gets so emotional about things in the past made me realize how important it is to actually chase our dreams when we can! Really inspiring

Kathy was so inspirational and even made me a little emotional with her story I was so amazed with the commitment it took I was so moved by this episode All the stories of what the previous medalists have gone through is just amazing

I love how the coaching has developed so much to be more aware of the athletes’ well being instead of just focusing only on winning winning winning. All love for all the speakers in this video ❤️❤️ such a great docuseries

Kathy has me crying. We r around The same age. She was a hero to me. I’ve been a gymnastics fan my whole life.

Kathy Johnson, "The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, and sweat, and blood; who knows the great enthusiasms, and great devotions, and spends herself in a worthy cause; who if at best wins, knows the thrills of high achievement; but if fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her soul shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." I really enjoyed listening to you talk, and share the finer points of intense competition. God bless you. Eric Liddell, Scotland, 1924 Olympics. Love that movie. Have it on DVD.

This series just keeps getting better. I really love seeing the changes that are starting to happen in gymnastics. The women in this sport deserve coaches that respect them and listen to them.

"I want to make him really proud," in regards to her father and why Suni wants to go to the Olympics. You made him PROUD girl.

I love how jordyn quoted miss Val ❤ "you cant put gold medals and winning over people"

love the honesty and openness of Kathy Johnson. So real. Thank you for sharing your amazing story Kathy!

"If i had a better coaching environment i would have been a better athlete" learn coaches

Suni is on the 2020ne team in my heart, I’m manifesting it for her ❤️

This is such an emotional video ⭐️

Aly Raisman is my all time favourite gymnastic, she has all that power, but still so elegant!

The feature of Kathy speaking years later is indeed touching. Thank you for this program!

Watching Betty Okino again brought back memories of watching the early 90s gymnasts on TV when I was a kid. She may not have been a gold medalist on beam, but she was one of my favorites to watch-her gracefulness was absolutely mesmerizing.

Suni's maturity and communication with her coaches (and vice versa) had me in awe. This is an amazing series!

Suni...we love you in Minnesota and know you will make everyone proud. Including yourself. Best of luck!

I go to the same gym as Suni (not at her level, I actually started about a year ago) and she is so fun to watch train. She is so persistent, and even when she messes up, she gets right back up again. Same with Lyden (another elite girl at Midwest).

Always loved Kathy, especially her commentary. That was very powerful.

There's an interview with Geza on TSL channel. He said there that back in Romania he saw Bela kick a gymnast, a girl of 11 or 12 so hard, he broke her ribs, and beat another so bad, she peed herself. So, I don't buy this bovine manure about them being well-meaning coaches, who just made mistakes.

I love Dominique Moceanu. I wanted to be her but was never able to be in gymnastics. I know she had a lot of trials in life but she is an amazing gymnast. So glad she is talking about it.

Silent treatment is BRUTAL! It was always INCREDIBLY cruel to me! It made me feel they gave up on me, didn't care how I did going forward and it was INCREDIBLY damaging! Thankfully, I only had ONE coach do that to me and he was replaced within two years. I'd MUCH rather be screamed at... At least I knew my coach hadn't given up on me and still cared about me as a human, even if not as an athlete. If you're a coach... BUILD UP your athlete! Do NOT tear them down! You will have an athlete who respects you far more and will NEVER want to fail you! ❤️ Promise!

Watching Suni watching Nastia's stuck beam landing in the Olympic All-Around to then go on to stick her vault, bars, AND beam in her own Olympic All-Around is the stuff dreams are made of.

I miss coaching so much. I wasn’t able to get into gymnastics until I was 12 because there were no gyms where I lived. But I danced. I taught myself cartwheels, and I taught myself how to do a backbend and stand up. I could almost do a front limber. Suffice it to say I was too old to go anywhere, but I qualified for preteam my first few months. When I went to college there was a sign that the local gym needed a coach. I never thought I’d get it but I applied anyway. The owner had me come down and do a trial night with her team, to see if I could coach. Because I’d done years of ballet, I focus on little things. These things are 1/10 deductions, and sometimes it’s the little things that will let you stick. So I would say, “that was beautiful, but you need to point your toe more.” I wasn’t thinking about it, but I always gave positives with the criticisms. That’s what got me the job. Nobody can handle being constantly criticized and berated. You feel worthless. These women are amazing and they went through times where they were not just pushed but they were verbally beaten on. As a coach you need to push. I still remember teaching this one girl to do a cartwheel on the high beam. We’d done the steps- line on the floor, floor beam etc. She was ready and capable. But she was scared to do it on the high beam. Understandable, the beam can be scary. So I talked to her. I asked her if she trusted me. She said she did. And I asked her if she thought I’d ever let her do anything she wasn’t ready to do. She said no. Then I told her that I was going to be right there spotting her. If she flubbed it, I wasn’t going to let her get hurt. It took a bit but she finally tried. She did it. One of the best moments of my life was the pride she had at that moment. Coaching is a gift. These women all know it. It’s rewarding.

Sunisas coaches are amazing!

I have watched every single episode of this serie and I think we all needed something like this, gymnastics told by the main character, telling their own and unique story... I literally cried with Last and this episode, this girls have been trough so much abuse, pain, fear and I admire so much they decided to talk. We coaches need to know they arent medals Machines, they are Just girls Who love gymnastics and most important humans with their own feelings and stories ❤️

„Nastia‘s been one of my biggest rolemodels throughout my whole gymnastics career […] I hope to be someday like her on beam“. And there you go, you yourself showed the world the greatness you saw and admired in others.. Suni Lee, 2020 Olympic All-around Champion🥇❤️

Why did I choose to chop onions at the exact same time as Suni talked about her dad saying he was going to run onto the floor and do a backflip when she makes the Olympic team.

What an honor to have olympic gymnastics legends in this series: Korbut, Comaneci, Silivas, Kim, Boginskaya.

This is so relevant now. I hope that these more senior and veteran gymnasts reach out to Simone and Suni and speak up to defend their decision to prioritize self-care.

KJC got me. I was totally crying. She will always have that moment and I am so happy for her. I’m sure it was truly a life-changing experience. She is a beacon of wisdom and hope for our athletes. I look forward to many more years of some KJC!

People saying ..... should have been in it - they were probably asked and were unavailable!

Suni WILL be going to the Olympics this year. I can't wait to see her shine!

It's weird they focused on Suni during this beam episode when she probably is a future bars olympic medalist (hopefully!!)

Kathy Johnson's story has moved me so much😭😭 just imagine what if she had not hit that last routine...could she ever find contentment?? That's a big thing in life, happy how things turned out for her!! Also more power to Sunisa, i know u r already in that Tokyo team, u go gurl !!

Kathy Johnson! Your amazing and a legend. You helped change US gymnastics and we’re one of the most graceful ever! ❤

Kathy Johnson got me crying

It’s weird that they featured Suni on the beam episode when she’s the best bar worker in the country. 🤔

My daughter is in gymnastics. This had tears streaming down my face. All the different stories of triumph and failure are beautifully told. 👍🇺🇸❤

A really nice in-depth look into girls/young women's gymnastics. Suni made the 2020(or 2021) Olympic team. Kathy Johnson's always been an idol of my mom's growing up as a kid and now I know why. She was one of the few American gymnasts of her time who could compete with the Soviets, Chinese and eastern European bloc nations. I admire her courage and tenacity to never give up (even when the odds were against her).

These young women are incredibly mature and well-spoken.

"My dad's injury makes me want to go to the olympics because I wanna make him really proud" AND NOW SHE'S GOT THE GOLD

I wish Shawn and Nastia featured in this episode cz beam was the 'Battle' event between them

This has been the most emotional episode of Defying Gravity...

In answer to Kathy's question. I'm sure she knows now, however for anyone that was wondering. "Contentment" is to be satisfied with your life, accomplishments, and personal self. So kathy wasn't content! She wanted more.

here to celebrate Suni’s ticket to 🇯🇵!

This series is INCREDIBLE! Bringing scads of beloved OGs, everyone pouring their hearts out. I am geeking out embarrassingly hard and sobbing. BRAVO

Fun fact: I'm a teacher and everytime I have a big presentation or have to speak to a lot of people I tend to be nervous a lot. I rehearse, of course.. but before, when I get so nervous I watch some couple of videos that usually calm me down and make me confident, one of those is Nastia Liukin's beam routine at Beijing olympics.

Watching this knowing Suni is the All around olympic champion hits different ❤️😭

It's so rewarding watching this in 2021 and Suni is the AA Champion. So proud of her accomplishments! I love this entire series.

She is a gold medalist now!! Congratulations

Suniiiii! We are so proud you. You have the whole Hmong community supporting you every step of the way!

So many great gymnasts in this video. Even thought they share some of their most horrific and anxious moments in gymnastics, I have the most respect for them. I truly look up to them not only for gymnastics but for their mental strength. It’s amazing to see them all conquer their dreams and even though I may not be a gymnast anymore they have taught me so much about strength. Just watching this before the olympics, thank you!

"I don't think they ever set out to harm anybody" seems like a very misplaced statement to make about the Karolyis. They did not care if and how their athletes were hurt. That's just as bad as intentionally harming someone.

how beautiful seeing that Suni is now a GOLD olympic winning. she is the moment.

I was so incredibly thrilled to see Suni win Olympic AA Gold, but it was so bittersweet that her father couldn't be there with her because of the pandemic. I immediately wanted to rewatch this documentary, and I didn't remember that Suni talks about how much she looks up to Nastia and says how much she wants to be like her while watching her becoming the AA Champion in Beijing!