FewOlympic athletes have steadily leapt so high and ultimately fallen so hard as U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone. At the 2008 SummerGames, the world’s eyes—
and the Jumbotron’s watch-every-move-you-make, catch-every-smile-you-fake camera —were riveted on the übertoned, telegenic 20-year-old Boston native.
Her journey to Beijing had been fraught with heartbreak (considered a dark horse for the Athens Games, she failed to make the 2004Olympic team), crippling shoulder-to-toe injuries,
seven world championship medals and several team-mobilizing triumphs. But the same ener- gizing team captain and stabilizing “big sis” who rallied her “girls” to a come-from-behind group gold at the 2007 world championships soon learned that even the strongest and
longest-lasting rock has its fault lines.Uncharacteristic falls during her balance beam and usu- ally show-stopping floor routines threwSacramone off the individualmedal podium and into an emotional tailspin. And while the expressive beauty with the disarming smile bit her lip
and fought back tears on camera, she couldn’t help falling prey to the beast of media punditry that—in the days,weeks and months following, and despite the competition’s myriad other statistical factors—blamed her squarely for her U.S. team’s second-place finish to China.
Her body and soul battered and bruised, the powerhouse performer and hang-in-there poster girl decided to retire
and chalk up her agony of defeat as a learning experience. And learn she did. The comeback kid, now 21, took a year off from BrownUniversity and moved to Los Angeles to field opportunities in clothing design and television. She
quickly landed gigs hosting a Golden Globes fashion preshow for E!, and designing and selling hip T-shirts and tank tops for L.A.-based TankFarm. InMay, the Boston Herald reported that “Sopranos” actor Vincent Pastore was so smitten with Sacramone—with whomhe filmed a TV spot for the city’s posh Strega restaurant—that he may hire her to play aMafia princess in an upcoming film.
balancing a
BY CHRIS MANN | PORTRAITS BY CORY SORENSEN
16 IHRSA |
www.healthclubs.com
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