Anyone who is involved in the gymnastics world as an athlete, coach, or fan is well aware of the sad but unavoidable fact that gymnastics is NOT a lifetime sport. As beautiful and entrancing as it looks when performed well, gymnastics is no easy feat for the muscles, joints, and bones being abused on a daily basis… not to mention the mental tolls of day-in, day-out training! It’s just not sustainable.
 

As a result, there comes a time in every gymnast’s life when he or she has to make the difficult decision to hang up the grips and call it a day. Whether that time comes sooner or later, due to injury or emotional fatigue, with satisfaction or unresolved business, its arrival is inevitable.
 

For those lucky enough to finish their careers with a sense of closure, they walk through the door marked “retirement” with smiles on their faces and hearts full of wonderful memories. Others are shoved through the door unwillingly, their bodies betraying them at the wrong moment. But either way, I think it’s important for competitive gymnasts to classify this step as retirement rather than “quitting.”
 

Why? Because quitting implies giving up. It suggests that a gymnast just walks into the gym one day and decides that she would rather not care anymore. Shoot, if we never cared about the sport then we would have “quit” right after the first tough practice, the first round of conditioning, or the first minor injury! We would never have made it through to the point of competition readiness, much less survived a single stress-inducing meet. And while the mental and emotional stress of the sport may be part of the reason for bidding adieu, it’s rarely the full story.
 

Although the word “retirement” may bring to mind gray hair and canes, it more accurately reflects what happens when a gymnast moves on from his or her leotard days. We walk through the door with heads held high and minds full of lessons learned. We transition to other sports, different goals, and new lifestyles. Most of us remain fans of the sport for the rest of our lives, but we throw ourselves into other activities to fill the void. Every once in a while a gymnast will come out of retirement and make another successful attempt at the sport, but it’s the exception rather than the rule. There are just too many physical and emotional challenges to overcome! So while it’s sad to know that the door closes behind us, there’s also comfort in knowing that there are countless other retirees on the other side, just waiting for us to join the ranks!
 

I’ve been a retiree of gymnastics for eight years now, and I still love to look back at my time in the gym and reminisce with former teammates about “the good old days.” But when that makes me sad, I look to the athletes I once idolized and remind myself that they too have moved on to the next phases of life. I’m content with all that I accomplished and willingly accept that I’ve closed that door for good.
 

I’m not saying that I haven’t tried on an old leo just for fun or mentally choreographed my “next” floor routine- it's hard to break old habits- but when I’m feeling sad about missing the gym, I remind myself of all the bloody rips, the hours spent standing on the high beam before attempting a new skill, the mornings when I couldn’t walk for soreness, and the late nights spent icing various body parts while doing homework… and somehow that always relieves the ache of longing!
 

So here’s a toast to all of my fellow retirees: may we live long and injury-free, with lots of life lessons to shape us and muscle memory to help us survive next time we attempt to impress friends with our gymnastics skills!

Related:
Ten Signs You Are an Ex-Gymnast
Gymnast Turned Crossfitter