In Her Own Words: Samantha Peszek

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Inside Gymnastics is proud to feature Samantha Peszek as our January/February cover story and we’re sharing a bonus online feature with more of her words about coaches, champions and her idols. Read on to find out what college has in store and her thoughts on little sister, Jessica, following in her steps!

IN HER OWN WORDS: Samantha Peszek

On little sister Jessica’s gymnastics future …

“She’s a Level 10 this year and she’s doing really well and she’s happy. I know it’s a cliché, [but she’s] taking it day by day.

“We talk about it sometimes. Like her new skills—she’s got a release on bars now and she’s upgraded all her skills.

“She’s definitely thinking she wants to do college [gymnastics]. As for the Elite scene, I’m not really sure. I couldn’t really answer that. I don’t know if she wants to do Elite or not. Either way, we’d be supportive, but I know for a fact she does want to do college gymnastics.

“To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of Elite gymnasts do Elite and felt like they didn’t want to do Elite. You can just tell by the way they do their gymnastics and their facial expressions. They don’t care. They don’t want it. They’re doing it for someone else. I would hope anyone doing Elite would do it because they want to. Because they want to be an Olympian, because they want to be the best, and not because someone else wants them to.

“[Jessica’s] gymnastics quality is different than mine. I’m way more powerful than her and she’s way more flexible than me. It’s kind of crazy. She does Hollie Vise’s pose on beam and I could never even think of doing that. We just have completely different gymnastics abilities.

“She did not come with me [to Sharp’s]. She stayed at Deveau’s. All her friends were there and she had a whole group. I only left Deveau’s because there was no Elite coach there to coach me. She grew up with all those girls and all the coaches there. There’s nothing at all wrong with the gym, other than [my coach] Peter [Zhao] left and I didn’t have a coach.”

On former coach Peter Zhao …

“[When I hit optionals,] that’s when Peter started coming [to Deveau’s] and we just really clicked. He was a great coach for me, and he just knew how to coach me; how to motivate me. Right away, I knew it was going to be a great fit.

“I still talk to Peter. We email all the time. He’s in China right now, but I let him know how I’m doing. He says, ‘I’m definitely going to come watch you in a meet at UCLA sometime.’ We definitely still keep in contact, which is really nice.

On her gymnastics idols …

“Vanessa Atler. She was the thing for me. Someone told me one time I looked like her. That was it. I loved Vanessa Atler. … I got to meet her one time and that’s it, but I’ve met a lot of the girls on the ’96 Olympic Team and it’s really crazy. I remember when Dominique Moceanu was trying to make a comeback and she came to one of the camps and I was so star struck. I’d already been on the National Team a couple of years but I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m practicing with Dominique Moceanu!’ I loved her. She was awesome. That was really cool.”

On her feelings when Sharp’s gym-mate Bridget Sloan win the World Championship all-around crown …

“She’s my teammate and, not only a USA teammate but in the same club gym, so obviously I want her to do her best and she deserves everything she’s worked for. We worked all summer together and we push each other.

“Bridget and I are complete opposites. I’ll push her on some things and she’ll push me on some things. Her personality is somewhat more calm and relaxed where as I am always ready to go, more high strung. We try and mix our personalities when we train. We bring out the best in each other is what I’m trying to say.

“She’s more of the calm, laidback kind of personality and, as for me, I’m always on the go and ready to do something new. I hate just sitting around. I always have to be doing something. I have lots of energy outside the gym as well. Inside the gym, she’s always calm, which is something I envy in her.”

On future college coach Val Kondos and UCLA …

“Obviously she’s going to be a huge part [of my life] in the coming years, but right now she just emails me and checks up on me every once in a while. We keep in contact. It’s nice to have that bond before I go out there.

“I have not set collegiate goals yet. I don’t know what I’m planning on. [Laughs] Actually, I don’t have any plans. I haven’t really talked to Miss Val about routines or anything like that.

“I’m excited. I love to travel. I love changes, so I’m really, really excited about the adventure [of college]. As for gymnastics, I’m not too worried, I think that will be an easy jump, in terms of my skills, which will be there by then. I’m not really worried in that regard.

“Definitely, going from Indiana to L.A., that’s something I can not wait to do and experience. I just can’t wait. I’m so excited.”

On life after gymnastics …

“I’m not sure what I want to do or what I want to be. Everything I want to do is just completely not in the same fields at all. I’d like to be an optometrist, an actress, major in communications. There are so many things. I’m not sure what field I’ll take.”

On how she’d like to be remembered in the sport when her career is complete …

“I want to be known as the gymnast who always was a pleasant gymnast. Was a happy Elite gymnast and looked like she enjoyed what she did. I had a huge heart for it and I did it because I loved to do it, and not for any other reason. That’s what I try and portray every time I compete. I really enjoy doing gymnastics.”

Subscribe or Renew now so you don't miss an issue! Plus, receive a free poster of Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin when you order a 3-year subscription to Inside Gymnastics magazine! Back issues are also available.

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