3 Inspiring Tokyo Olympic Gymnastic Medalists Added to Boise Show
While the Tokyo Olympics may have concluded two weeks ago, the inspiring performance of Team USA's women's gymnastics team will live on for decades!
When gymnastics great, Simone Biles, had to withdraw from the team competition, the all-around finals and most of her individual events, social media keyboard warriors thought it was the end of the line for the American gymnasts. The women quickly silenced critics by putting on performances that will be talked for years to come.
Jade Carey
Jade Carey took a very different path to the Olympics than her teammates. She knew that she was going to Tokyo before competing in the Olympic Trials. She earned her spot through something called the apparatus World Cup Series and that meant whether or not she qualified for the team of four, she would get to compete in every individual event. To sidestep the USA gymnastics selection process? That takes some serious guts!
It paid off big time for Carey. While she wasn't part of the team that earned the silver medal in the team competition, she got the opportunity to compete in the all-around competition when Biles withdrew. She also qualified for the event finals in Vault and Floor, walking away with the gold medal in Floor!
MyKayla Skinner
When MyKayla Skinner, who was also not a member of the four person squad in the team competition, failed to qualify for any individual event finals she thought her dreams of winning a medal for Team USA were dead. At 24, she felt she was unlikely to qualify for another Olympic team and tried to make peace with the qualifying rounds being her gymnastics swan song.
She was preparing to fly back to the United States when she got the call that she'd be putting on her competition leotard one more time. With Biles withdrawing from the Vault competition, Skinner was able to step into the second position for Team USA. She wowed the judges with her vault and won the silver medal!
Grace McCallum
Grace McCallum was part of the quartet representing the United States in the team finals and she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. When Biles told her teammates that she needed to withdraw from the competition, McCallum was the next American gymnast to perform. She told the Today Show, that she knew whatever she did would set the tone for the team for the rest of the meet. That tone was resilience and perseverance. She, along with Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee, helped lead the team to a silver medal.
Team USA Makes HERstory in Tokyo
The keyboard warriors were wrong about our gymnastics team. Every woman on the team ended up winning an Olympic medal. While Biles withdrawal shocked many, it led to some of the most inspiring stories of the games!
Biles not only made an important statement of mental health and trusting your own body, she showed that amazing things happen when women support women. She knew she wasn't up for the challenge the biggest stage in the world presented, but her teammates who trained their entire lives for this moment were.
Biles Invites Team USA to Join Her in Boise
While sharing those stories here give us goosebumps, words on the internet can't compare to hearing what the experience in Tokyo was like directly from the gymnasts that were part of it! You've got the chance to do EXACTLY that on October 1 at ExtraMile Arena in Boise! Simon Biles, who built the line-up for the Athleta Presents: "Gold Over America Tour," has officially invited Carey, Skinner and McCallum to join her, Chiles and an already star studded line-up of gymnasts for the show!
We've got a feeling that Biles would've loved Lee to be part of the tour as well, but she's recently started her freshman year at Auburn University and her class schedule would not allow her to tour this fall.
Tickets for the event are on-sale now and we'll have some opportunities for you to win them leading up to the show! Make sure you download our app so you know how to win.
Athleta Presents: Gold Over America Show Details
Show: Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour
When: Friday, October 1, 7:00 p.m.
Where: ExtraMile Arena, 1910 University Drive, Boise
Tickets: Tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
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