We are all excited for the start of the Olympics! For me it brings back great memories of the Magnificent 7 gold medal win (25 years ago!!). But I always try to remind myself of the struggles along the way. It’s in the falls, mistakes, and flat out failures that I always learned the most. This was my first event during the National Championships in 1996, the competition which counted as 100% of my score in deciding whether or not I qualified for the 1996 Olympic Team. I fell. Not only did I fall

Shannon Miller wins gold in Atlanta 1996 balance beam final

All of Shannon Miller's Olympic balance beam routines

This was from the 1996 Olympic Team Competition, Day 1 - Compulsories. I loved having balance beam as the second event. Beam is always the most nerve-racking and it’s nice to sandwich in between the other events. That shoulder roll in the compulsory beam routine was so much trickier than it looks! It was always a challenge to separate yourself from other routines when you’re doing the exact same routine, lol. But it was fun trying! | Shannon Miller