When we say Kim Kelly Gymnastics, we are talking about the milestones and achievements of the notable icon Kim Kelly, as a star in the world of gymnastics dating the 1980s.
Sometimes in trying to step up your gymnastic skills and fuel your dreams, talking about your favorite sports legends can go a long way.
When you talk about your favorite star so you can follow in their footsteps, it falls into a category called Mentorship.
And mentorship is crucial for both mentor and mentee, especially when they develop a relationship that allows them to learn new things from each other.
The only hiccup with the above definition in the context of this article is that our mentor of the day, Kim Kelly, is a celebrity who likely doesn’t know us.
But no worries. We are going to leverage the information we find about Kim’s achievements.
Elaine Eksvärd, one of Sweden’s top communication experts, says when you speak like your idols, you become what you want. Her view suggests that people should observe their mentor’s milestones and use what they find as a resource and advice to help them polish their skills.
Don’t go anywhere. There’s more to see!
Who is Kim Kelly?
The former American gymnast Kim Kelly, who competed at the 1989 World Artistic Gymnastics, is widely recognized for being selected first for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic team and later withdrawn at a team camp.
Many people, including Elfi Schlegel were dissatisfied with the decision to remove Kim Kelly from the team camp as they painted the withdrawal action to be unjust and unfair.
Kim performed well and earned her spot at the Olympics, but despite her efforts, the Olympics Selection Committee chose Now Retired American Gymnast, Betty Okino, over her.
Against all odds, Kim Kelly practiced at a Gymnastics Training Center in Pennsylvania. She trained under coaches Donna Strauss and Bill Strauss.
Kim helped the American team finish 4th place during the 1989 World Olympics Championships. She also hit an all-around score of 76 when she competed at the 1992 USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials and placed 6th.
Kim Kelly Gymnastics: Overview
Kim Kelly’s milestones didn’t end at the Olympics Championships. She aced her classes as a successful Collegiate Gymnast in Alabama University.
Kim, who now goes by the name Warren, married Wes Warren, her fellow Alabama graduate, at the end of her gymnastics career. They have two children together – Kelly and Noah.
As an 18-year-old athlete focused on her performance, Kim Kelly may not have understood the procedure like she should have.
In gymnastics, it is common to see gymnasts being told not to think for themselves and follow their coaches’ directions without questions.
Many people see the relationship between Kelly and Okino as some soap opera.
At some point in the career of both women, Okino didn’t participate in the U.S. Championships or the Trials. And championships and trials were used to determine the U.S. team’s makeup. On the other hand, Kim had done everything expected of her in both.
Amidst all the bumps along the way, we could see one trait that pushed both gymnastics icons to the level they attained – perseverance.
What We Learn From Kim
For Kim Kelly, her present readiness was the only thing that mattered. She didn’t look back at past performances, and she wasn’t intimidated by the international prestige of other athletes.
Kim Kelly only cared about the present time – the thrill and momentum. How ready she was. Not the past, or future.
Every competition was the most crucial performance to Kim. So she trained for these performances like her life depended on it.
Kim once said, “The process is so hard and so fickle.” She said when she watched the Olympic trials, no one seemed happy.
Kim Kelly competed at the U.S. Olympic trials in Baltimore in 1992. Standing in 6th place as the all-around finisher, Kim was introduced live on NBC as a bonafide Olympian. She was only 18 when the in-house crowd welcomed her, live on NBC.
At the time, gymnasts needed to perform a routine on each apparatus with an optional routine. So becoming a verified Olympian was a massive feat for Kim at the time.
The Team USA gave Kim her gear and she traveled to Florida a couple of days later. Kim traveled to Florida thinking she’d be able to participate in a camp that would help her step-up her routines and bond with her teammates.
The Takeout
Kim says that, unlike in the past, kids know what they’re getting into when signing up for gymnastics. But she still thinks the policies surrounding training and competitions in gymnastics are horrible.
She says it still doesn’t matter what you do. People may call it the Olympic trials. Sometimes the people who’d enforce these things are coaches and other officials. But at the end of the day, none of it matters. What matters is who they think will look great in front of the international judges. To them, it’s all about the body type. Make one wrong move in final practice, and you might not get a spot at the Olympics.
Kim Kelly thinks the system seems to be working because it has produced a team silver medal in Athens, the 2004 Olympic all-around champion Carly Patterson, a team gold medal at the 2007 world championships, the 2007 all-around world champion Johnson, and many others.
Yet, Kim Warren prays her daughter Kelly doesn’t end up becoming a gymnast. She hopes her daughter plays tennis or golf instead.
