The Making of a Champion: Kim Zmeskal

Zuber ins their innocence their bright eyes and wide smiles for them anything is possible their dreams have no boundaries and that's how it should be some want to grow up to build castles some would love to be captains of sailing ships others want to be acrobats and every once in a while those dreams come true this is the story about one energetic little girl whose childhood fantasy became a reality it's about hard work and extreme sacrifice but also unbelievable happiness and huge rewards it's about wanting it bad enough to be the best it's about the making of a champion kensa mescal at a time when most kids are living a carefree existence enjoying their free time and just playing with friends fifteen-year-old kins of mescal is living a totally different kind of life she has the goals and priorities that most kids won't even begin to think about until after their high school prom you see from the time she was 6 years old Kim's primary interest in life has been gymnastics her desire to be a champion started with a simple dream but the actual making of a champion has been a complex uphill climbs from the very beginning Tim zamesca began that climb 15 years ago her goal to become a world-class gymnast Kim's tiny footprint signify the start of a life that has achieved so much so soon as the oldest child of David and Clarice Kim's early years in Houston were not much different from most other children she was always active when she was four five six years old she was always on the furniture bouncing back and forth standing on her head hanging on everything him was introduced to gymnastics at the early age of six by her babysitter both my parents worked so I stayed with the babysitter and her daughter always was going up to Jim and he said to sit there and watch and when there was a whole bunch of little kids you know jumping around on the floor and on the equipment you know I decided I want to start too so Kim's parents enrolled her in a local gymnastic School which soon became caroli gymnastics after the arrival of Coach Bela Karolyi in 1982 when we first took Kimberly to the gym the very first time the coach told me that Kim had a special talent and that was really kind of weird at that time I didn't really take him seriously and I said well you know sure she hops around and jumps around a lot Bela who's always had an eye for talent immediately recognized Kim's ability and placed her in what he called his hopes group for a more intensive training regiment I think then we realized that maybe we had something special going here Kim is something special because she really started from the very first moment and we followed her through helping her and directing her away toward the competitive genetics and also her coordination is remarkable your dance ability is I would say exceptional so with these basic abilities around she really can build a very strong young individual capable for high performances this was Bella's kindergarten as he called it and he felt these girls those so Young's had real potential Bella compared Kim to another dynamo Mary Lou Retton who is training in his elite group I remember because she was just like me when I was rebellious to father the little pumpkin this she was little and Stocking real muscular and strong he says I remember you would just like that 14 yeah Kim's always been a favorite of mine watching Mary Lou on a daily basis Kim was able to witness firsthand what it took to climb to the top and realize a dream always been written so I've always looked up to her because she's gone she got all the way through it and now you know she's such a celebrity and everything I would just love to be in her footsteps by the age of nine Kim was learning her first floor routine an event which she would practice to near perfection oh my favorite event has more exercise it's it's the most fun for me to do and it comes easy for me you know it's the tumbling part and I like to dance and I just like to show off in front of a crowd and I think that's the easiest event to do it on showing off for the crowds by the age of 10 and wanting to be number one Kim learned early that competition means pressure at 12 competing in the junior division at the US gymnastics championships Kim tied for 8th place but performed like a champion by 13 in the US Olympic sports festival Kim placed first in the all-around to become the junior national champion Bella's pumpkins were winning big all the training was beginning to pay off but what had been a simple passion was now a hectic career one that entails longer hours in the gym and time with friends and family I never really get to see your a lot and [Music] sometimes I just wish that should be a normal person I think she it would be better if she were home more often that could start spending time with her despite the sacrifices it's a life that Kim has chosen and now there's no turning back Kim's very self-motivated she pushes us out the door it was never us pushing her she would wake us up in the morning saying we got to go to the gym you were going to be late I think I'm really lucky to have such a supportive family and they're with me 100% if I decided that I wanted to quit and stop right now they would let me but you know they're they're here for me everything I do whenever I have a bad workout now I go to them and they just they make me realize that I still want to do it and it's nice to happen with me for three and a half years now the zamesca family has lived on this street in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Houston Texas the gym where Kim trains is located just minutes away now with everything in close proximity life would seem to be very orderly but is organized as the semester goes are their day-to-day lives have been greatly altered by the accomplishments of their famous daughter and now the better Kim gets the more she's beginning to feel the burden of her own success [Music] the everyday lifestyle of the typical American teenager is something that Kim zamesca has never known though she's only 15 the attention she's already received is more than most people will get if they live to be a hundred and fifteen if you're not careful it all can be a little disconcerting it's different because the friends I used to have like an elementary school had a switch school so I'm not with them anymore they sort of treat me differently there they're like oh the famous Kim's Montana it's like it's different I'm going but I'm not and it's it's different but but Kim does know she knows that as much as she'd love to spend more time with her friends and family and have a more normal life that for now that's just not possible at best she only has one day off a week and only gets to see her best friend Laurie once a month I'm an expert at writing letters now and she always gets stationary from me because I'm like write me and send me postcards but it's fun to hear from her because she always has an exciting story about where she's been or she's not like any of my other friends so it kind of makes up for it but Laurie realizes just as the Zoom esko's do that no amount of Correspondence can make up for not having Kim around more unfortunately her daily schedule is just too tight it all begins at 6:30 each morning with a little help from dad it's time to wake up and get going then a trip to the kitchen for a quick breakfast after that it's off to the gym five minutes away we're practice begins promptly at 7:00 a.m. for the next three and a half hours the elite gymnasts train and a rugged non-stop haze under the watchful eyes of the master coach Bela Karolyi warmups are followed by extensive and repetitive work on each of the four apparatus once workout is finished it's time for school which lasts from 11:30 until 2:30 Kim a tenth grader in some of her fellow gymnasts attend the Northland Christian School in Houston the school's flexibility accommodates the girls tight schedule while Kim and company are allowed to eat lunch during class they're still expected to turn out the same high quality work as everyone else when they've gotten to this point in their gymnastics career they have acquired so much more self-discipline they're so focused on being very goal-oriented and what they need to to do to progress to the next level that that has that skill has transferred over into their studies they're terrific students I had one teacher just the other day that wanted a whole school full of them so if mr. Crowley has some more they'll bring them on from school Bella's best student heads home for a nap a viewing of her favorite soap days of our lives and a chance to catch her breath there's no long rest though at 5:00 it's back to the gym for another 4 hour workout now not all teenagers are cut out for this type of exhaustive six day a week schedule needless to say the sacrifice has been great for everyone concerned sometimes family get-togethers Christmas Easter that type of thing have suffered because of the fact that she's had something else to do at the gym our family has been always very understanding about it and but we've enjoyed it I don't think we if we do have to do it over again we'd still do the same thing for it because she's put so much effort into what she's doing Kim's effort has paid off handsomely with unparalleled success her performances have catapulted her to the top of women's gymnastics and have made her America's best bet for a medal at next year's Olympics what made it possible for this 4 foot 7 inch 80 pound gymnast to reach such Heights is her exceptional ability to handle the pressure of the big moment I think the pressure is fine because I'm in gymnastics for myself that's why I started and that's why I'm still in it I'm in it so that I can be the best in this I can me that's why I'm glad that we got to start competing every younger age so that now it's it's not as stressful and everything but I think I usually do better when I have more pressure on me [Applause] the mental strength is more than more than remarkable she is capable for tremendous tremendous mental concentration and she can squeeze out from her preparation some unusual performances on very important moments one of those moments occurred at the McDonald's American Cup this past February her teammate Betty Aquino another fast rising parolee student had just secured the all-around championship on her final event of the competition Kim knowing the gold was out of reach was up next that was a weird situation because before I went on I knew I couldn't win but it's like I was like okay put my music on now I want to go because I felt like I was gonna new the best routine I've ever done and I think I did [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] an extraordinary perfect score under the circumstances a true testament to Kim's unwavering determination when it comes to sports it goes without saying that athletes need incredible skills to perform at the highest levels but what may be more important is the right amount of heart and desire all the great ones know it's something that can't be taught you either have it or you don't sometimes though one needs a little help unlocking that potential and pointing it in the right direction in the world of gymnastics if you've got the right stuff deep down no one is better at harnessing it than motivator extraordinaire Bela Karolyi [Applause] his list of past champions reads like a who's who of gymnastics each one a strong personality unique in her own way but all tied together by a common thread their drive to the top orchestrated by the same man [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] not everyone approves of his strict coaching techniques Orias demonstrative often disruptive behavior during competitions but no one can ever question the results of the legendary charismatic Bela Karolyi seven Olympic champions fifteen world champions five US national champions his coaching consistency is remarkable whenever his current crop of star gymnast steps down there always seems to be a new set of young upstarts ready to take over kim zamesca was one of those young upstarts once having seen many of the great ones come and go she knows the karoli magic he has the experience and also he he works us really hard and I think what makes the difference is that though it makes us work when we don't want to work you know when we're tired most coaches would just say okay well since you're tired no we'll call it a day but Bella makes you keep working it's Bella's work ethic that separates him from other coaches he lets his young gymnasts know there's a job to be done and that only through total dedication at workouts can they succeed in competition not him I can't believe this came here done another statement of your discipline one look at the faces of his charges will tell you just how serious he is people started to have the idea to create this false idea probably Bella has on magic on those moments can something whisper on their ears and they they just became Tigers they gonna be super concentrated and gonna be super effective that does not happen I have to confess and I have to tell the truth there's not exist what does exist a consistent long sturdy preparation where I every day I'm demanding the same attitude when demanding the same kind of approach a grocery store don't go away don't give up that's the time we have to prove it day after day for any athlete regardless of their accomplishments there will be an occasional off day according to Bella kim's lapses seem to occur mainly during practice she has weaknesses like anybody else probably her consistency to the long hair preparation is not the one what I would like to see her self-discipline from time to time is not the one as not a sturdy like I like to I would like to see it but what Bella does like to see our chemist results during competition his for repetitious exhaustive training has helped prepare her for those especially difficult moments moments that have become Kim's trademark I've seen him a lot in workouts not really give a hundred percent sometimes and I think as an athlete myself we all have those days where you just don't feel left to it you're not really working out to your full potential but she is a fierce competitor she's got a heart of fire stomach of Steel I'm telling you what you put her in a pressure situation you can count on in gymnastics that's what it comes down and you work hard everybody's talented everybody's strong at this level but when it really comes down to it it's at 30 seconds to a minute and a half that you're out there at that moment that you have to hit and that's what Kim does if it's true that Kim responds warmly to the spotlight credit must also go to the presence and influence of another person teammate Betty Aquino as close as these two are in talent and in day-to-day proximity the question arises could this rivalry ever become bitter again the motivator in Bella prefers to see a potentially disastrous situation as one that has its advantages if that direct competition which is just another young athlete stands right next to you and performs gosh I'm looking over there and I say do it if I'm not gonna do it she's gonna get the credit I don't want it so I'm gonna push myself here is that everyday rivalry and from these friendly rivalry comes ultimate advantage a great athletically thought we push each other basically it's not like we're enemies or anything like we're fighting against each other when we're in competition we're competing against each other you know she does something better I'm gonna do it better than her and if I can't win I'm glad to see her won because it's basically one - Kim and Betty and the other elite gymnasts are a tight-knit group during the summer and before really big competitions they're taken off to a huge ranch that Bella and his wife Marta built one and a half hours north of Houston there in an almost camp like atmosphere the girls enjoy an isolated existence away from all the normal everyday distractions back home [Music] [Applause] [Music] but no one ever forgets who rules who decides when the fun ends and the work begins again I think he tries different ways of training I sometimes don't always agree with what he does but then he knows he has that child and he has to get the best out of her at all times when it comes to getting the best out of any gymnast nobody does it better than Bela Karolyi he's almost the whole reason I mean I couldn't have gotten in half the Hoosier dome in Indianapolis Indiana the site of the 1991 world gymnastics championships nothing comes close to this competition or the Olympic Games in providing a gymnast with the ultimate test of character and ability these are the events that every gymnast dreams of winning and the ones that coaches like Bela Karolyi lived for now for Kim's a mescal the past two years have been filled with one confidence-building experience after another all building up to the big-time championships like these [Music] with 1989 in the junior national championship came recognition but in 90 and 91 Kim would explode shooting to the top of the seniors division sure she is something else where the moment comes when everybody is falling apart and most of the other athletes are having hard time to controlling their own emotions she comes out from the backwoods and does some unusual performances out of the backwoods indeed at the McDonald's American Cup top countries showcased their premier athletes Bella Corolla uses it as a coming-out party for his best students Nadia Comaneci won it in 76 Mary Lou Retton is a three-time champion and Kim zamesca had her turn in 90 in her first major international competition Kim began or two-year rise to the top by winning and surprising style well American Cup in 1990 was a big thrill to me because I went into that competition not thinking that I was going to be able to win and then to come off of a fall from from the preliminary day you know to win it meant a lot to me and then I think that they gave me a lot of confidence and all the rest of the meats in your last year the following month Kim added to that success by becoming the first to score a perfect 10 in the history of the US Challenge competition [Music] what could possibly top that well how about perfection on the floor 1990 was destined to become Kim's year at Fuji she became the youngest woman ever to win the all-around at the u.s. national championships but with success came physical stress her body was beginning to show signs of wear from years of constant pressure Kym competed in the Goodwill Games despite a nagging wrist injury and it showed in the results Kim placed sixth in the all-around a fall off the uneven bars didn't help one thing you have to think about is the gymnasts they essentially walk on their hands so there's much more stress to a gymnast risk than another sports it is mother there's so much at times that she's had to pull out of competition specifically at the Goodwill Games we had to take her out of the vault it was bothering her so much but Kim bounced back a perfect ten and an all-around title at the McDonald's challenge against stiff Soviet competition ended her glorious first year in the spotlight 1991 started relatively slowly at the McDonald's American Cup it was teammate Betty Aquino who would take home the gold that he nailed a perfect score of her own on the vault her first ever and the question now became how would Kim handle the pressure no problem at the 91 US national championships Kim became the first woman to win back-to-back all-around titles since Tracy Talavera in 1982 an important victory despite the absence of an injured Betty Aquino it provided the momentum Kim would need entering the biggest competition of her career to date the 1991 World Championships early in the week Kim helped the u.s. women's team make history her 10 on the vault secured their first-ever silver medal but it was her signature floor routine two nights later that turned the gymnastics world upside down needing a near-perfect score to unseat defending champion Svetlana bug and skya in the all-around Kim [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] us woman had higher than seven that the world America's Kim zamesca have just won the gold as unlikely as it seemed to gymnastics insiders and to Kim herself before the event started the names of mescal will now forever be linked to the title 1991 all around world champion it was made possible by years of intense work and a burning desire to be the best it comes from a coaching philosophy that says no goal is out of reach no amount of success is unattainable it's that kind of attitude that should serve Kim zamesca well not only as she prepares for Barcelona but in all her years to come [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Gymgold07

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Keywords: Kim Zmeskal

Id: Cti1nWsaXGo

Length: 27min 41sec (1661 seconds)

Published: Mon May 14 2018