32-year-old gymnast-turned-mother-of-two Chellsie Memmel reveals she is making a comeback ahead of the 2021 Olympics - nearly a DECADE after she retired
- Memmel rediscovered her love for gymnastics while training at her parents' gym, M & M Gymnastics, in Dousman, Wisconsin, amid the pandemic
- The Olympic silver medalist has her eye on the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, but right now, she is just focused on competing again and seeing where it takes her
- Memmel retired from the sport in 2012 after a series of injuries and failing to make the U.S. team for the London Olympics
- She and her husband, Kory Maier, have two kids: Dashel, five, and Audrielle, two
- While gymnastics is no longer her main focus, she said she feels stronger than she did at the height of her career
Former Olympic gymnast Chellsie Memmel is eyeing a professional comeback at the age of 32 after rediscovering her love of the sport as a mother-of-two amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Olympic silver medalist and a three-time World Champion from Dousman, Wisconsin, has been retired from gymnastics since 2012, but the time she spent training at her parents' gym, M & M Gymnastics, while in quarantine has her thinking about possibly competing in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
'I haven't said that out loud yet,' Memmel told Good Morning America about training for Tokyo. 'My goal is just to see where this takes me. I've committed to training and to try to get to competitions and just to see this where it goes.'
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Training: Chellsie Memmel, a former Olympic gymnast and mother-of-two, is looking to make a professional comeback. She's pictured with her children Dashel, five, and Audrielle, two
Finding her passion: The 32-year-old spent much of the pandemic training at her parents' gym, M & M Gymnastics, and is thinking about possibly competing in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo
Memmel retired from the sport in 2012 after a series of injuries and failing to make the U.S. team for the London Olympics.
She married her husband, Kory Maier, the next year, and they had two kids: Dashel, five, and Audrielle, two.
While she judged and coached gymnastics, she didn't decide to get back into tumbling shape until two years ago.
Videos of her conditioning workouts, which she called 'Chellsie Challenges,' went viral on social media, and soon, she was ready to start flipping again.
Showing off: Memmel has been sharing photos and videos of her progress on Instagram
Maybe in the future: While she has her eye on the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, she is just focused on competing again and seeing where it takes her, right now
Memmel is now doing gymnastics training three days per week and conditioning on the other four.
She said her new routine is easier on her body and has made her feel stronger than she was at the height of her career.
'Being in shape and maintaining a good level of physical fitness was the hardest part for me when I was younger, the absolute hardest part,' she told GMA. 'Now my runs feel stronger, some of my jumping just feels more powerful.'
This is also the first time in her career where gymnastics is not her main focus — her two kids are.
Claim to fame: Memmel, pictured competing in 2005, is an Olympic silver medalist and a three-time World Champion
Looking back: Memmel (third from right) helped her team take home the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Moving on: Memmel, pictured in 2005, retired from the sport in 2012 after a series of injuries and failing to make the U.S. team for the London Olympics
'I'm a mom first,' she said. 'My life doesn't solely revolve around it right now.'
While many gymnasts retire in their 20s, Memmel's dream of competing in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo is not impossible.
Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina made history in 2016 as the oldest female gymnast to ever compete in the Olympic games, at age 41.
Chusovitina, who will be 46 next year, is currently training for her eighth Olympics.
New routine: Memmel is now doing gymnastics training three days per week and conditioning on the other four
Priorities: 'I'm a mom first,' she said. 'My life doesn't solely revolve around it right now'
In comparison, the oldest member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team in 2016 was Aly Raisman, who was 22, a decade younger than Memmel.
The Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has given Memmel more time to train.
'The timing for me obviously worked out for the better because there wouldn't have been enough time to get to where I am now and even be thinking about having a shot,' she said.
'I'm just one person, one sport, but the entire world is going through the same thing, so it's just kind of rolling with it and seeing what happens.'
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