My First Celebrity Crush

I've actually been wanting to blog all day but have been suffering a little from "blog constipation" (every time i sit down to write, nothing comes out).

I'm now watching the 2008 Women's Gymnastics Olympic Trials and I'm reminded of what was probably my first celebrity crush. As I write, I'm actually starting to recall very well watching the 1996 Olympic Games (I admittedly had to look up the year) from my Grandparents living room in Rogers, Arkansas. I watched very intently to both of the Dominique's (Dawes and Moceanu) but particularly paid special interest to Dominique Moceanu, whom I found incredibly hot, or whatever a 13-year old boy called a cute girl in 1996. This was also the year Kerri Strugg stuck her famous landing, or more remembered by me, Chris Kattan parodying it on SNL.

Back to the actual show, I'm curious as to how old some of these girls are. They look 13. I know a girl who was a pick for the '96 Olympic Team for Rhythmic Gymnastics. She wasn't a part of the "Magnificent Seven" but she was still pretty stinkin' great! She declined her spot on the team and was 16 when she retired from gymnastics (she would have been 17 or 18 by the Games.) I remember hearing stories of her eating disorders and the birth control they put her on to prolong the onset of puberty. I just can't imagine that life. Not to mention that these pre-pubescent 16 year olds can probably bench press me. And if not, they could use me as a springboard to do a triple flip twist mounted ollie off the hook... or something. Still, it is pretty impressive the amount of agility and talent these girls... and all the athletes that I have yet to see, possess. Besides the horror stories of the eating disorders, I've also heard amazing stories of extreme training schedules, diets, and levels of commitment and determination I could only dream of.

I think I just got myself excited for this year's Summer Games.

Go America!