Sampurna Pal is a Primary editor for the Olympics Sports division at EssentiallySports. Her writing navigates through the world of gymnastics, equestrian sports, and alpine skiing. With over 2 years of experience editing and publishing sports content, she brings valuable insights to the EssentiallySports editorial desk. 
While making sure that editorial best practices are in check, Sampurna covered three prime events - the 2023/24 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, and the 2024 Olympic Marathon trials.
When not editing the next viral story, she finds solace in photography, cooking, and teaching. These passions allow her to bring color, movement, and vision to the sports content she edits.

With the season’s turn, spirits are raised as the holidays draw near. Thanksgiving Day has brought in the festive cheer. Yet, amid the joy, for many, this holiday also brings with it complex and unique struggles. In one such instance, a US gymnastics [https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/gymnastics-2/gymnastics/] athlete with bipolar disorder has opened up on the flip side of holiday cheer. Countless people navigate through painful personal struggles and losses. And here is an account of the same. GYMNASTICS ATHLETE SHARES THE FLIP SIDE OF HOLIDAY CHEER McKenna Lane Kelley, daughter of Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton, recently took to Instagram stories [https://www.instagram.com/stories/mckennkelley/3241952284405812805/] on Thanksgiving Day and shared a heartbreaking reality many people face during the festive season. The LSU gymnast also urged her followers to check in with friends, especially those who are struggling with mental health challenges. Sharing a casual selfie, she wrote alongside the image, ?I know personally, especially with a split family, this time of year isn’t always cheery. It’s hard when I am the only bipolar person I know – I feel very misunderstood in moments/days like today?. [https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/McKenna-Kelley.jpg] Her message resonates with many going through similar challenges, as the complex difficulties faced by many often tend to get shadowed amid the joy. Her message also comes after the collective sigh of relief from her family and numerous fans as her legendary mom, the first American woman to clinch the all-around gold at the Summer Olympics, returned home after fighting for her life. MARY LOU RETTON’S FIGHT FOR LIFE On October 10, McKenna Lane Kelley, the former LSU gymnast, revealed the critical condition of her mother, Mary Lou Retton [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/mary-lou-retton/]. She shared that she was in an intensive care unit and ?not able to breathe on her own.? Facing the challenge of no insurance, Kelley initiated a Spotfund campaign that garnered support from over 8,000 donors, amassing $453,123. Countless fans and the gymnastics community reached out to share their heartfelt support [https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-olympics-news-gymnastics-news-still-have-a-long-road-of-recover-mary-lou-rettons-daughter-opens-up-on-mothers-rare-disease-fight-as-the-gymnast-returns-home/] for the icon. [https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Mary-Lou-Retton.jpg] After tumultuous days, on October 23, Kelley shared the good news, ?Mom is HOME & in recovery mode. We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.? Read more: ?Wasn?t One of the Most Fortunate?: Simone Biles? Husband Jonathan Owens Opens Up on Hard Childhood Amid Thanksgiving Festivities [https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-olympics-news-gymnastics-news-nfl-news-wasnt-one-of-the-most-fortunate-simone-biles-husband-jonathan-owens-opens-up-on-hard-childhood-amid-thanksgiving-festivities/] And on October 30, a glimmer emerged as Retton took to her social media and penned, ?I?m beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement. I am overwhelmed with the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!? and assured fans she would soon update them about her journey. Health, Another Rising Gymnast Breaks Silence on Self-Care in Sports [https://www.essentiallysports.com/stories/us-sports-news-as-simone-biles-and-michael-phelps-work-towards-mental-health-another-rising-gymnast-breaks-silence-on-self-care-in-sports/] 

Amid Thanksgiving joy and the holiday cheer, a US gymnastics athlete shared the flip side of struggling with mental health struggles.??

Christaline Meyers is a senior Olympics writer at EssentiallySports who
specializes in gymnastics and alpine skiing. Christaline is one of the acclaimed
authorities in the coverage of 6x All-Around champion, Simone Biles. She has
written extensively, covering every detail of Biles’s life stories as well as
providing her perspective on Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike controversy.
Beyond the gymnastics realm, Christaline also takes an avid interest in the
development of the on-field rivalry between Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova in
the snow-covered alps. When away from the ES Desk, she can be found meditating
and listening to music.

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/christaline-meyers-1-1-96x96.png

Medal-Worthy Stories

Christaline Meyers

strong

?Misunderstood?: US Athlete With Bipolar Disorder Opens Up on Flip-Side of
Holiday Cheer

Tennis Fans Gush as Roger Federer’s Daughters Myla and Charlene Steal the Show
With Their Adorable Reaction to Carlos Alcaraz at Laver Cup

Stephen Nedoroscik’s DWTS Partner Rylee Arnold Gives Fans an Important Health
Update: “It’s Tricky”

Dana White Lands in Trouble for UFC 307 as Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree’s
Main Card Loses Mega Fight

Big Crisis in Patrick Mahomes’ Family Before Chiefs Game as Mom Randi
Desperately Seeks Prayers for Ailing Dad

Afraid to Go Home, Junelle Bromfield Opens Up About Hardships in Jamaica: ‘Did
Not Have Any Money’

Gymnastics is a collection of physical exercises requiring a lot of strength, agility, balance, and flexibility. It is closely related to circus performing skills as athletes put their bodies to the fullest use. Likewise, there are various disciplines for gymnasts to showcase their talents. Thus, it evolved from ancient Greeks that included skills to mounting to dismounting a horse. The competitive form of gymnastics is called artistic gymnastics. It involves various events for women like the floor, vault, uneven bars, and the beam. For men, they have floor, vault, rings, pommel horse, parallel bars, and horizontal bars. Therefore, the sport is famous for its aesthetic values and the Olympics draws major crowds to the gymnastics arena.

[caption id="attachment_996875" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-996875 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1342598189.jpg" alt="Simone Biles" width="1920" height="1281" /> LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Simone Biles performs during the Gold Over America Tour at Staples Center on September 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)[/caption]
<h3>History of Gymnastics</h3>
Gymnastics originated from the Greek term, 'to exercise naked,' applied in ancient Greece exercises. These exercises became a mainstay at the Olympics but most of the competition came from ancient roots. There are stone engravings found in Shandong province during <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/gymnastics/Gymnasts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Han Period</a> (206?<span class="text-smallcaps">BCE</span>?220?<span class="text-smallcaps">CE) where they portrayed acrobatics. Like every sport, the person credited for making the sport famous was Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, founder of the Turnverein movement as he helped to spread gymnastics across the world. </span>

<span class="text-smallcaps">Most of the exercises were conducted on the playground. Therefore, various events came into existence. They held the first Gymnastics festival in 1860 in Coburg. The Americans were introduced to Gymnastics in the late 1820s while the Federation Internationale Gymnastique was founded in 1881 to organize the event. The 1896 Olympic Games saw the starting stages of gymnastics being introduced to the world.?</span>
<h3>The Sport</h3>
There are three divisions of artistic gymnastics- artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline. There are six <a href="https://completegymnastics.com/gymnastics-disciplines-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">events</a> for men and the all around event where they combine scores from every discipline. For women, there are four exercises and a similar all around event, both team and individual events. Apart from artistic gymnastics, there is rhythmic gymnastics and is practiced only by women. Trampoline is the other discipline of gymnastics and introduced itself at the 2000 Olympic Games. As years pass by, various gymnasts showcased their athletic skills to the masses in attendance.

[caption id="attachment_1074502" align="alignnone" width="473"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1074502" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1332096751-473x315.jpg" alt="simone biles" width="473" height="315" /> TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 03: Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the Women's Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)[/caption]
<h3>Famous gymnasts in the world</h3>
<strong>Simone Biles:</strong>

In terms of pure dominance, Simone Biles enters the list as arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. She is the <a href="https://www.rookieroad.com/gymnastics/top-6-best-womens-players-of-all-time/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most decorated</a> gymnast in the World Championships, winning four gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. The 2016 Rio Olympics saw her winning four gold medals and completely dominated the events. She has 25 World Championships medals to her name and her stance on mental health helps her become an influential person in the society.

<strong>Larisa Latynina:</strong>

Winning nine gold medals at the Olympics is astonishing and Larisa Latynina ranks on top of the famous gymnast charts. After Michael Phelps, she has the most Olympic medals with 18. She popularized the sport of gymnastics and was the first star in the sport. Her iconic performances will go down to the gymnastics folklore.

[caption id="attachment_688263" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-688263 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-640615533.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1293" /> Nadia Comaneci of Romania performs her routine on the Balance Beam during the Women's ArtisticTeam all-around event on 19 July 1976 during the XXI Olympic Summer Games at the Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Don Morley/Getty Images) )[/caption]

<strong>Nadia Comaneci:</strong>

Achieving a perfect 10.0 score in gymnastics is amazing. But, doing it at the Olympics, when just turning 14, placed Nadia Comaneci amongst the pantheon of greats. The 1976 Olympics saw her earning seven perfect scores. She won five Olympic gold medals out of the nine she won.

<strong>Svetlana Khorkina:</strong>

With a total of 47 Olympic, World and European Championships medals, Svetlana Khorkina is a remarkable gymnast. She became the first gymnast to win three all-around titles at the World Championships while winning five gold medals in the uneven bars at World Championships. Her success in the uneven bars earned her the moniker 'The Queen of Bars.'

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a collection of physical exercises requiring a lot of strength, agility, balance, and flexibility. It is closely related to circus performing skills as athletes put their bodies to the fullest use. Likewise, there are various disciplines for gymnasts to showcase their talents. Thus, it evolved from ancient Greeks that included skills to mounting to dismounting a horse. The competitive form of gymnastics is called artistic gymnastics. It involves various events for women like the floor, vault, uneven bars, and the beam. For men, they have floor, vault, rings, pommel horse, parallel bars, and horizontal bars. Therefore, the sport is famous for its aesthetic values and the Olympics draws major crowds to the gymnastics arena. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA &#8211; SEPTEMBER 25: Simone Biles performs during the Gold Over America Tour at Staples Center on September 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) History of Gymnastics Gymnastics originated from the Greek term, &#8216;to exercise naked,&#8217; applied in ancient Greece exercises. These exercises became a mainstay at the Olympics but most of the competition came from ancient roots. There are stone engravings found in Shandong province during the Han Period (206?BCE?220?CE) where they portrayed acrobatics. Like every sport, the person credited for making the sport famous was Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, founder of the Turnverein movement as he helped to spread gymnastics across the world. Most of the exercises were conducted on the playground. Therefore, various events came into existence. They held the first Gymnastics festival in 1860 in Coburg. The Americans were introduced to Gymnastics in the late 1820s while the Federation Internationale Gymnastique was founded in 1881 to organize the event. The 1896 Olympic Games saw the starting stages of gymnastics being introduced to the world.? The Sport There are three divisions of artistic gymnastics- artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline. There are six events for men and the all around event where they combine scores from every discipline. For women, there are four exercises and a similar all around event, both team and individual events. Apart from artistic gymnastics, there is rhythmic gymnastics and is practiced only by women. Trampoline is the other discipline of gymnastics and introduced itself at the 2000 Olympic Games. As years pass by, various gymnasts showcased their athletic skills to the masses in attendance. TOKYO, JAPAN &#8211; AUGUST 03: Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the Women&#8217;s Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Famous gymnasts in the world Simone Biles: In terms of pure dominance, Simone Biles enters the list as arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. She is the most decorated gymnast in the World Championships, winning four gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. The 2016 Rio Olympics saw her winning four gold medals and completely dominated the events. She has 25 World Championships medals to her name and her stance on mental health helps her become an influential person in the society. Larisa Latynina: Winning nine gold medals at the Olympics is astonishing and Larisa Latynina ranks on top of the famous gymnast charts. After Michael Phelps, she has the most Olympic medals with 18. She popularized the sport of gymnastics and was the first star in the sport. Her iconic performances will go down to the gymnastics folklore. Nadia Comaneci of Romania performs her routine on the Balance Beam during the Women&#8217;s ArtisticTeam all-around event on 19 July 1976 during the XXI Olympic Summer Games at the Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Don Morley/Getty Images) ) Nadia Comaneci: Achieving a perfect 10.0 score in gymnastics is amazing. But, doing it at the Olympics, when just turning 14, placed Nadia Comaneci amongst the pantheon of greats. The 1976 Olympics saw her earning seven perfect scores. She won five Olympic gold medals out of the nine she won. Svetlana Khorkina: With a total of 47 Olympic, World and European Championships medals, Svetlana Khorkina is a remarkable gymnast. She became the first gymnast to win three all-around titles at the World Championships while winning five gold medals in the uneven bars at World Championships. Her success in the uneven bars earned her the moniker &#8216;The Queen of Bars.&#8217; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Gymnastics Archives

LatestGymnastics - EssentiallySports News | EssentiallySports

EssentiallySports

https://www.staging.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/es_circle_black_logo.png

title

description

robots

link

https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-olympics-news-gymnastics-news-mary-lou-retton-mckenna-lane-kelley-misunderstood-us-athlete-with-bipolar-disorder-opens-up-on-flip-side-of-holiday-cheer/

https://www.facebook.com/essentiallysports

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1331396370.jpg

Gymnastics Athlete shares the flip side of holiday cheer

Mary Lou Retton’s fight for life