Inside Gymnastics Magazine | 7-Time Olympic medalist Shannon Miller’s take on preparing for a home Olympic Games!

Shannon Says

After the 1992 Olympics, I couldn’t even think about a second Olympic Games! During that time, it was almost unheard of to compete in more than one Olympics for a female gymnast. However, I hadn’t even considered retiring. I was only fifteen and had so much more I wanted to learn and do in the sport. I focused on the next goal which was World Championships in 1993 and ended up winning the All-Around! And a few weeks later…I decided to quit gymnastics. 

That summer I had a growth spurt (no, really). My timing was off on everything. My body was beat up after two hard years of training and high-level competition. I wasn’t enjoying the sport anymore. To my parents’ credit, they asked me to take a breath and talk to my coaches before I made a final decision. They always believed there was a difference between “quitting” and moving on to something else. I certainly wasn’t going to do gymnastics forever, but when I stopped, it needed to be at the right time for the right reason. 

We sat around our dining room table with my coaches Steve (Nunno) and Peggy (Liddick). Steve wanted to know my reason for quitting. And frankly, I didn’t have one. I told him about my shin splints and back aching. But these were minor issues that would get better now that I had time to rest. He asked me to come in for a few weeks with very light training, working only on new skills and healing up.

What he realized, long before I did, was that I had forgotten to set new goals. I had always been excited about learning a new skill or entering a new competition. At this point, I had done what I had set out to do. And I hadn’t set any new goals. 

During those three weeks, we got back to basics. I learned two new skills on uneven bars, my back and shins were feeling better, my timing was coming back, and I was re-energized about the sport again. It was at this time, Steve and Peggy began talking about the upcoming World Championship and, yes, the next Olympic Games. I began dreaming of the opportunity to compete in my home country during an Olympic Games!! 

I was suddenly getting back to what I truly loved about the sport, learning new skills and routines and doing things that most thought were impossible. Attempting my second Olympics, at a time when most would use the term “one and done” on a regular basis, was exciting for me (and clearly for some of my teammates as well). 

There was certainly excitement around the Olympics being held in Atlanta, but that was my long-term goal. There were so many steps to take in between. I had to learn new skills and routines with the crazy new code of points. I had other competitions to test them out and maintain a competitive edge. I had to get back into the mindset that it wasn’t about winning every competition but rather peaking at the right time. 

I tend to be a “steady as she goes” competitor and that paid off in 1996 earning a spot on the team that would become the first-named team for U.S. Women’s Gymnastics, the Magnificent Seven. And what an honor it was to compete with this team!

You never really know where your career will take you. All you can do is set goals, give 100%, and enjoy the journey.