Born in Salem, IL on Oct 1, 1987. Grew up in Hardinville, IL, a tiny town near the Indiana border. It had a four way stop with stop signs are the center of town and no stoplights
Was adopted in the first few months by Sharon and Gerald Bricker. Having met them, Dominique describes them as some of the most kind hearted and down to earth people she's ever met. They had three sons, Brad, Brian (Bubba), and Greg, and had always wanted a fourth child, a daughter. Sharon wasn't able to have more children, so they decided to adopt
The boys were 14, 12, and 10 when Jennifer was adopted, and they were excited and enthusiastic about having a sister. She was the princess of the family and they were very protective of her, but they didn't treat her like she was delicate–they taught her to be tough, rowdy, and bold.
That she was born without legs was never considered a handicap to the Brickers, and Jennifer participated in every sport, game, or adventure. She jumped off things, climbed trees, did flips and handstands. She credits her brothers with teaching her to be fearless
Sharon had retired from the bakery she'd worked at when the boys were young and was now a stay-at-home mom available to care for Jennifer full time. Gerald worked as a carpenter and at an oil refinery. They had minor arguments, but talked out their problems so there was never lingering tension at home
Dominique wishes her parents had talked things out–they either fought or didn't talk at all. Tense moments were more common than peaceful ones. Many of her and Christina's childhood memories include fear, sadness, and occasional threats of violence.
Sharon would wake around 5 or 6, fix breakfast (bacon, eggs, and toast), get the boys off to school, and spend the day with Jennifer. She was an even-tempered, happy woman who liked taking care of the house while Gerald worked
Gerald was "a strong man's man, with a sensitive side." Hardheaded, strong willed, and compassionate. Whenever she had an argument with her parents and stormed off to her room as a teen, he would always come up to talk to her. "Can we be friends" her dad would ask to kick of the conversation
Dominique compares this to her father's ruling the house with an iron fist, and acknowledges it was very much him reliving the kind of household he had grown up in. She says it doesn't excuse it, but it does give her a better understanding of Tata.
Dominique remembers thinking in her first conversation with Jennifer, "Thank God someone was watching over her, so she didn't have to suffer like Christina and I did."
School
Attended elementary school in another small town, Oblong
Other kids obviously noticed she was different–using a wheelchair naturally drew attention. Jennifer answered their questions with "This is the way God made me." It was what her parents had told her and what she believed
No one treated her differently at home–she participated in every activity, had chores and responsibilities just like her brother. She didn't expect special treatment at school either
The other kids got used to her quickly, so much so they sometimes forgot she didn't have legs
Growing up she sometimes used prosthetic legs that had been specially designed for her, but ultimately she decided they slowed her down and stifled her
Her four story high school had no elevator. She climbed the stairs like everyone else and had a wheelchair stashed on each floor in case she needed it
To Jennifer, having no legs means that she may have to do what everyone else does a bit differently, but it never occurred to her not to do those things
Jennifer is a natural athlete like Mama. She loves sports and always participated in every activity she was offered. She did softball, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and tumbling. Sometimes her parents would have to alter her equipment to allow her to play, but they always figured it out. When she wanted to rollerskate, her parents made makeshift skates she could attach to her hands
She was lucky to always have teachers who supported her, with a special note to her 5th grade teacher Mrs. Sweat–an eccentric woman who reinforced her family's lessons about standing up for yourself even when it feels like the world is against you
When she was 11 they went to Holiday World in Indiana.
After waiting hours to ride a roller coaster, she was turned away at the front of the line because she didn't reach the height requirement. She felt this was unfair because she was large enough to be properly secured by the harness–her body was actually bigger than many of the children on the ride. If she'd been wearing her prosthetic legs, she would have met the requirements. The operators didn't consider any of that–she didn't meet the requirements, period
The next day at school she told the story. Mrs. Sweat spent a good part of the day teaching about discrimination and why it's wrong. Jennifer was taken aback and deeply thankful for this lesson
Growing up with three brothers, she was a complete daredevil. She scared her parents by jumping off their second story spiral staircase onto the couch. She take a book and climb the big tree in the backyard and read for hours
Gymnastics
Was always a fan of gymnastics and loved watching it on TV. She was particularly drawn to Dominique–the littlest gymnast on the floor. Dominique reminded Jennifer of herself–they were petite, with dark hair and eyes and striking facial features, and Jennifer knew she was also of Romanian descent
Jennifer watch all of Dominique's meets, read books and articles about her, and told her family she was going to meet her one day
When she was in second grade, she told her parents she wanted to be a gymnast, and they enrolled her in gymnastics classes, then tumbling classes
This coincided with the 1996 Olympics. Jennifer told Dominique that watching her succeed even though she was so young and tiny compared to her peers inspired her to start competing. She excelled at tumbling, competing over the next four years and winning various competitions at her age level
By the time she was 12, Jennifer was a small-town her through her tumbling feets, having participated in four state meets and winning the State Championships once, as well as competing in three national meets and one Junior Olympic meet.
In high school, she decided she'd done all she wanted to in the sport of tumbling, and she wanted to do high school things like hang out with friends
Her positive outlook has been an inspiration for Dominique, even in the short time she's known her. Life isn't an obstacle, it's an opportunity
The most demanding and stressful time in her career
Training was a nightmare. Pushed herself as hard as she could and felt like she could never please Bela and Marta. She told herself they were just trying to get 100% out of her, but they were so out of tune where she was mentally, emotionally, and physically that it was having the opposite effect
She was already fiercely competitive and focused on her goal and had been since her first media interview at age nine. She did truly love gymnastics and was devastated by feeling apprehensive every time she walked into the gym
She was so afraid of making mistakes and getting reprimanded, and the joy slipped away. Bela would threaten to call Tata whenever she made a mistake–he knew he had total control over her, and he used that control to intimidate her, not to motivate her
Her routines were packed with difficulty, but her fears weren't about executing them, they were about Bela and Marta berating her. Her routines were near perfect. She did six compulsory beam routines in the morning and six optional routines in the afternoons and there were weeks where she didn't miss a single one–her record was three weeks without a fall on beam. But she felt the pressure every moment to not have one mistake, because it could set Bela and Marta off and erase everything she'd done up to that moment
Every move was monitored by Bela and Marta around the clock, every day.
She is very thankful for Kerri. She thinks she would have gone crazy without her. They were good training partners, with unwavering work ethics who pushed each other. Kerri was four years older and they didn't have much in common outside of gymnastics, but their time together built a friendship for later as adults
Kerri was also quiet, shy, and a rule follower. She had trained with Bela and Marta in the lead up to 1992, and then returned in 1996. She can't speak to Kerri's experience because they were different than hers, but she noticed right away Kerri was treated differently by the Karolyis
They used a softer tone and had a base level of respect
She figured they just liked Kerri more as a person
They did ride Kerri too, but there was a different undercurrent. Dominique and Kerri bonded over moments of the Karolyis being unreasonable
Years later Kerri explained that her parents had talked to Bela and Marta prior to her returning to train with them, making it clear they couldn't treat Kerri "the way you used to". Dominique wishes her parents had been like that
Often after long training sessions she'd feel let down by the Karolyis, Tata, and even Mama. Her parents were prideful, hardworking people who'd put their trust in the Karolyis, leaving Dominique little space for voicing difficulties at the gym. Her family already had enough stress with Tata's mood swings and financial strains
She doesn't think the Karolyis ever thought much of her family. They were just poor Romanian immigrants who hung on their every word and did a lot of ass kissing. Mama always made herself available to try to get Dominique in their good graces. By American standards it would have looked like bribery, but to Mama it was just expected behavior
Tata did his part as well. He'd pull strings at his work at the car dealership for Bela. She knew he felt taken advantage of sometimes–she overheard him talking about being used by the Karolyis, but he always stopped as soon as he noticed she was listening
Bela would tell them if they didn't like it, they could take Dominique elsewhere, they didn't need her. Tata believed the Karolyis had the political power to put their gymnasts on the Olympic team. It was too late to transfer somewhere else, and they had already uprooted their family for this
Even at 14 she knew she had to find a way to hold onto her passion. She'd dream about Alexandrov walking through the door and cry herself to sleep wishing she could train with him again. She remembered the advice he'd given her
As much as she felt Bela and Marta treated her with disdain, she kept trying to gain their approval
Bela and Tata seemed a lot alike, with bad tempers. She feared both of them, tried to please them, knew they would never be satisfied. She can't remember a single time either one ever said, "I'm proud of you." The Karolyis believed praise limited progress and motivation
She resented the added pressure of walking on eggshells at the gym
Nationals
She started suffering from chronic sharp leg pains in her right shin. It had been an issue for months and worsened leading up to Nationals in June
The Karolyis did not alter her training to accomodate her injury. She'd seen them push other hurt gymnasts and worked up the courage to tell them soemthing was wrong a couple of times, but was always dismissed, that nothing was really wrong with her
During podium training she had to literally grit her teeth to stop from crying out on each turn. If she winced, she got in trouble for making faces. During warm ups, she fell face first on an easy pass–her leg didn't have the stability it should have.
An hour before she was supposed to leave for the competitive arena, she was called into a parent-coach meeting. She was terrified
Bela asked if she wanted to compete while Marta, Tata, and Mama stared at her. She just stared back at Bela. He never asked her input on anything, and now he was asking her if she wanted to compete at Nationals. At 14, she didn't recognize the malicious sarcasm. She finally nodded. She knew she was trapped anyway
The actual event is a blur. The pain was there, but adrenaline kicked in. She ended up third AA after making uncharacteristic minor mistakes on vault and bars that probably cost her the gold. She was disappointed but still had total confidence she would have done better if she were healthy
Bela didn't see it that way. "That was NO GOOD, Domi. That was NO GOOD," Bela barked at me after my uneven bar routine. His comments, seeped with disgust, cut. Considering how difficult it was for her to put weight on her leg, she thought he'd at least see honor in that she had competed without any major falls and that she'd pushed through injury to finish 3rd.
He conveniently acted concerned about it for a few minutes while the cameras were filming on the sidelines
The injury was not addressed after returning to the ranch. They were given one day's rest then they were back in the gym, and the leg pain was more significant. The floor was old, hard, and barely sprung.
The leg finally gave out on a switch straddle and she collapsed in front of Bela and Marta and Kerri. Her primary focus was fear–so she forced herself up quickly and tried again, but the same thing happened. She simply couldn't push off the leg.
Marta made a disgusted face and said something Dominique didn't understand. Bela told her to stop playing the fool. Dominique was trembling–she knew they were going to call Tata
Marta squeezed the back of her neck with her nails and pushed Dominique to her office. She was talking, but Dominique's head was spinning and she couldn't make herself understand
"Let's call your parents. Maybe your leg is broken!" Marta announced loudly
The threat to call her parents always terrified her. She wasn't sure if she was more afraid of Bela or Tata, but she knew having both of them mad at her at the same time was lethal. She was slightly less afraid of Marta, because she was one of Marta's favorite beam workers, so Marta would give her the benefit of the doubt
An X-ray and MRI revealed a four centimeter stress fracture in her right tibia five weeks before the Olympic Games. It was the kind of diagnosis that destroyed dreams, and she was panicked, afraid she wouldn't heal in time for the Olympics
She was also relieved to finally get treatment on her leg
It was awful seeing the days go by as she conditioned on the sidelines. Eventually she trained bars, without dismounts. She had to stop vaulting and floor completely for a couple of weeks, riding the stationery bike for endurance
At first she bought into Bela's accusations and blamed herself for the injury. But when she really thought about it, she realized she had done exactly what her coaches had told her every day, all day. She was made at herself for not being more persistent about the issue being addressed earlier. She knew prevention and quick treatment were key to staying healthy
She was unable to compete at Olympic Trials and had to petition onto the team.
Teammates
Shannon was also injured and having to petition onto the team. She didn't know Shannon well at the time–she was 5 years older, with lots of National, World, and Olympic medals and had been Dominique's main competition at Nationals–the media had run hard on their "rivalry". She remembers being taken aback by how Shannon would cry openly during practice when she was such a steely competitor–she was living proof you could show emotion and still be a good athlete and competitor
Jaycie Phelps, who had placed second at Nationals, was immediately throwing into the mix of key Olympic hopefuls. She had blue eyes, a bouncy blonde ponytail, brick abs, and gorgeous toe point on bars. Dominique didn't watch her competitors at meets, by Jaycie was a consistent force and Dominique thought she'd be named to the team. She didn't get to know Jaycie well until after the Olympics on the tour.
Aside from Kerri, Dominique rarely had a chance to talk with the other Mag 7 athletes because they were all spread out training in different gyms and only saw each other at competitions, and Dominique was strictly monitored at competitions. Kerri and Dominique had to sit with the Karolyis at their meals, while the other girls sat together.
Amanda was friendly and outgoing and nurturing. Everyone on the team worked hard, but she remembers thinking Amanda wanted it more than anyone after having just missed the team in 1992.
She often wondered what the others thought of her. She wanted to be friends, but she was much younger
Amy was talented and intelligent and made things look effortless, doing tricks everyone else could only dream of, especially on bars. She was a force in her own right and solidified her spot after showing grit when she fell on her head on beam and still finished the routine. She was a calm but fierce competitor who also managed to be a great pianist, and Dominique wasn't surprised she decided to study medicine. Amy also got involved in pole vaulting and diving after gymnastics
She also admired the relationship Amy had with her coaches, Diane Amos and Mark Young from West Valley Gymnastics. They did a great job preparing Amy and allowing her to rest and recover so she'd be ready for competition. Amy was the only one who didn't work out twice a day at home, and they didn't let the Karolyis bully them into changing their training style at the Olympics.
One practice during podium training, Marta started practice five minutes early. Amy and her coaches got to the gym and Marta yelled at them for being late. Amy started to cry, and Diane responded, "Don't you ever yell at my athlete or treat her that way. She is not late. You started early!" Diane was livid at Marta
Dominique Dawes was upbeat, positive, and movie-star beautiful, muscular and graceful. She had a back-and-forth tumbling pass and had been in the 1992 Olympics with Kerri and Shannon. She thought it was cool that there were two Dominiques on the team, especially since the name was somewhat uncommon. They'd both win titles in 1994, and they'd posed together on the cover of International Gymnast.
Meals were awful
Kerri and Dominique barely spoke
After the humiliation at 1995 Worlds and other spontaneous weigh-ins and interrogations, she was very insecure about her body. Every bite made her feel self conscious
Bela and Marta ate as much as they wanted of whatever they wanted. Dominique and Kerri were expected to eat very small portions of pre-approved foods. Every once in a while a trainer or physician would feel sorry for her and sneak her some food or a treat
Bela and Marta would eye her up and down when she was stripped down to her leotard, making constant comments about her physique. She believed she was fat, weighing 70 pounds at 14. For many coaches, it seems to be par for the course to keep their athletes light at all costs. Several other coaches she's worked with stressed weight. Some were just less extreme than the Karolyis
She would obsess and crave foods. On a few occasions, she hid food and ate it in secrecy. No matter how well she listened, she was still scolded and humiliated and made to feel worthless, stupid, and fat
Kerri and Dominique would talk about how they were going to indulge in food after the Olympics
Mama was concerned Dominique was malnourished and came up to the ranch to cook her meals that summer. It meant everything to Dominique. She rarely got to see Christina, who stayed with Maia and Papu, and she missed her desperately
Team Finals
The US was in second place on the final day of competition. The team was diverse–socioeconomically and ethnically, reflecting the face of America.
Knew they had to win gold in front of the home crowd
She was happy they would begin on bars and end on vault, one of her strongest events.
They were neck and neck with the Russians. It initially looked like the competition would be between Russia and Romania, but the US kept hitting. She could tell things were going well by the crowds–she didn't need to watch the routines
Bars went well for the team. She did one of her best routines and was proud to stick the landing
She was second to last up on beam. Everyone else hit their sets and she needed to too. She started with her shoulder role mount, always a crowd pleaser. She hit a great routine with a stuck dismount
Bela was not on the floor, but was watching from a nearby security area. "Good, little piggy." "Little piggy" was so random, but he seemed genuinely pleased so she figured it was his idea of a compliment. She was feeling good and pleased her leg was holding out
She was excited to perform her floor to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". The song was selected by Bela, who said he heard it while driving and immediately called Geza. Dominique never had much say in her music, so she was pleased to get a fun, upbeat, energetic song. She hit one of the best routines of her life and could see her coaches were cheering her performance
Rotating to vault, she could see the US was in first, with a narrow margin of Russia and Romania
The team was strong and consistent on vault, so she figured they were ending on a high note. She knew she could do her vault with no problem, even with the decreased training. She waited on the sidelines–she'd learned early that you never relax in a competition until the last element of the last routine
She saluted, ran, vaulted, and was stunned to find herself sitting down. She quickly saluted and walked back down the runway. Marta didn't have any advice for her—she and MLT both look stunned as well. Dominique looked around–she needed someone to tell her what to fix--she couldn't place what had happened and she was in shock. She looked at Bela, who said, "Stronger, Domi." That didn't make sense to her, because her first vault had been very powerful. Bela often said things when the cameras were rolling that weren't meant to be helpful, just to make him look enthusiastic and involved
She wished Alexandrov were there
She went a second time, focused on sticking the landing. Later, she realized that focusing on sticking was the wrong approach–she should have focused on making the landing. She fell again. The crowd was shocked too.
She felt like she had let everyone down. She couldn't believe she'd worked so hard for an Olympic dream and this was how it ended. MLT patted her on the back, but didn't say anything. What could she say? Marta said, "Two times? Too bad." and did the neck squeeze. Bela and Marta barely said anything to her for the rest of the day or or night, acting like she didn't exist. Dominique took it hard
Amanda hugged her and told her not to worry about it, and all her other teammates came over to offer support.
She put her wrist guards away and watched Kerri. Kerri fell too. The entire arena was silent, in shock.
Kerri looked like she had injured her ankle. Dominique didn't know what to think. Kerri looked like she was in shock walking back up the runway. The entire team had nagging injuries, some worse than others–they looked elderly, hobbling back to their rooms after practice. They had to be tough and push there. Kerri did that.
She'd never seen anyone land a vault like Kerri's second vault. At first the arena was ecstatic, then concerned. The paparazzi swarmed Kerri to capture every expression of pain as she was carried out of the arena. Dominique knew how tough Kerri was—if she was in too much pain to walk, it had to be bad.
The team score was posted, they won, the crowd was chanting "USA!"
She was struggling to absorb the last ten minutes as they waited for the medal ceremony. She'd performed three of the best routines of her life, but she couldn't shake the disappointment of the fall. A single nod or hug from Bela or Marta would have meant the world to her, but they looked right past her.
She wasn't sure if she deserved to smile as she received her medal
Jaycie asked her what was wrong, and she told her she was worried about what her father was going to say. Word had pretty much spread through the gymnastics community about her father at that point. "Come on, Dominique! We just won the gold medal! Be happy!" Jaycie said. Dominique wished she could feel like her and felt separate, watching her teammates hug and celebrate.
Maybe she didn't deserve to be happy
Writing that as an adult, it's absurd. She deserved the medal and deserved to be happy. She contributed some of the highest scores on three events. But at fourteen she believed she had to be perfect to deserve happiness
She always appreciated Jaycie trying to comfort her
As they walked to the podium, Bela appeared carrying Kerri, her leg splinted. For a moment, she thought he might actually stay on the podium while they received their medals. The media ate it up. She didn't believe he cared about Kerri or her leg–he was putting on a show to get in the limelight, and she was relieved when he put Kerri down
The crowd was joyous, supportive of the US victory over Russia and the former Eastern Bloc.
She found Tata in the crowd, his camera around his neck. Mama, Christina, and Janice were there somewhere too
The team rallied for one final hug and they were escorted to the VIP press box where their parents were waiting–it was time to face Mama and Tata. She knew she wouldn't be met with the enthusiasm her peers would but she wasn't sure exactly what to expect
Mama and Tata's glum faces said it all. She thought they had to be proud on some level. "What happened on your vaults?" was the first thing Tata said. Mama did hug her and whisper "Good job," but she saw the grief in her eyes.
That night they had a post Olympic party at planet Hollywood hosted by Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Dominique was starstruck. Food was being passed around and Dominique realized she was starving, but she only took small portions. She was back in the gym in the morning.
Individual Finals
Dominique had qualified in AA and beam; Dawes in vault, floor, bars, and AA; Shannon in vault, beam, and AA; Amy in bars. Kerri had qualified too, but was unable to compete because of her injury–Dominique's AA spot was actually the one Kerri had to withdraw from.
She dreaded being with the Karolyis in training, but practice turned out to be low spirited and uneventful.
Her goal for the AA finals was to stick her vaults, and she nailed it. She was fourth on floor and fell on her head in the beam final, so she didn't win an individual medal. But she was satisfied she'd stuck that vault landing
Heading to breakfast on the morning of the gala, she stopped by Bela and Marta's room to say "Good morning," as she'd been taught to. No one answered. Someone coming down the hall noticed and told her the Karolyis had left. They hadn't said good bye
She wasn't able to attend either opening or closing ceremonies, which she regrets
The broadcast of the competition was taped delayed, so the commentary was done via voice over. The results were already in the books. The network played up the drama of Kerri's vault, leading viewers to believe the US only took gold because of it, when the team scores were actually cinched by Dominique. She didn't realize this until a fan told her during the post-Olympic tour
This made her realize Tata probably also knew this–he was good at math and always calculated the scores in his head before they were posted. Her mother later confirmed this, but they didn't bother to tell her at the time
She will always be grateful to the part she had in the historic moment. She respects each of her teammates because they worked tirelessly toward this goal and came together to win–it will bond the team forever. Winning gold with them was magnificent
One of the best experiences of her career and her life up to that point. She was able to perform without the pressure of judges or scores or the Karolyis
Bela was on the tour, but he didn't pay attention to her. She's told he watched her routines from backstage, but she felt invisible to him after having been with him around the clock for months. He'd pass her in the hall without a word. It was hurtful, but she was also relieved
The tour was a taste of freedom. It was the first time she got to know and bond with her teammates
It was also a chance to meet all her fans, which she love–the support she received from them allowed her to forget some of the disappointment and feelings of failure from Tata and her coaches
She tried her first soda and peanut butter and jelly. She had french toast for breakfast. She got to go shopping with her teammates. She knew she was making good money from what the other girls said because they were being paid by show and there were over 50 shows.She was content with the per diem she was given by the tour managers
Tata handled her finances and kept her in the dark about everything. She never had any idea how much she was making for contracts or appearances.
The tour was in such demand it was extended by 40 shows into 1997
She can't believe how little she knew about the finances involved even given her age at the time
Moceanu Gymnastics Incorporated
First order of business was to find a coach. They knew they needed someone, but Tata begged Bela to take Dominique for a little while. It was bad from the start–you never want to be coached by someone you had to beg for the privilege
It lasted for a couple of lackluster months. No one wanted to be there
Karolyis refused to help her find a new coach
The most recognized authorities in her sport (the Karolyis) were telling her and her parents that she was washed up at 15
She gym hopped for a while. The fame and Olympic credentials would get her into a gym, but Tata held the instructors to a standard they could never meet. Dominique needed stability
Tata came up with the idea of building his own gym, where she could train and run her own business when she retired. She remembers saying one night at dinner that it sounded like a good idea in an attempt to please Tata as much as anything else.
Moceanu Gymnastics Incorporated (MGI) was born. It started out admirably, but Tata didn't want an ordinary gym–he wanted something grandiose. She does think his heart was in the right place, but building this "Taj Mahal" gym became his primary focus, but it was too unmanagably big
During construction in 1997 he spent day and night on site–he really threw himself into the project and was proud of how it was shaping up. He became friendly with Brian Huggins, a salesman for RSC, a company that supplies construction equipment. They'd talk and drink late into the night, with Huggins stroking Tata's ego
Tata would have Brian help him by taking Dominique out to eat or shopping. Tata approved of Brian, which was rare, and she figured he was harmless. He was confident, charismatic, and charming. Janice thought he was smug.
She was used to spending more time with adults than kids, so it never occurred to her that spending so much time alone with a non-family grown man could be a problem. It turned into all day excursions, and she'd view him as an older brother.
She wished Tata had known how to spend time with her and talk with her the way Brian did. Tata always thought he had to be tough on the surface. She thinks them spending some quality time together could have changed their whole relationship
Janice distaste for Brian had grown. She didn't like a grown, married man in his 30s with a child of his own spending so much time one on one with a 16 year old–she was suspicious of him from the start
Janice had been with her family from the start and for the right reason, and she was there for all of them through the good and the bad. She was the only one Dominique was completely open with. She was the only one who told Dominique how much Tata loved her.
"Why don't you just tell Dominique that you love her?" she'd often ask Tata. "She knows," was always his reply. "It is something that doesn't have to be said." "I don't think Dominique truly knows," she'd tell Tata, and she was right
Dominique mostly felt that the quality of her performance would be the barometer of Tata's mood. Unconditional love wasn't a consideration. She wouldn't hear those words until she was 21
They would all confide in Janice, who tried to encourage them to confide in each other
"The first time someone meets your daddy, they love him," Aunt Joyce used to tell me in her warm Southern drawl. "The second time, they hate him. I'm one of the only people I know of that actually knows your daddy and likes him."
Tata's inability to listen to others and compromise was his downfall in a lot of ways, and it was eventually the downfall of the gym. Managing a gym with its staff, coaches, and employees requires diplomatic skills that he didn't have. He'd act out of raw emotion and made rash decisions in anger
Finding a new coach
Dominique still needed a new coach. She was beginning to feel like her skills were slipping, and she tried many coaches and none were a good fit. Bela's warnings that she was done were always in the back of her mind
Luminita Miscenco arrived in January 1998. She had been coaching the junior national team in Romania and accepted the Moceanu's offer to come to the US to coach Dominique. Tata was able to get her a work visa. She had a light, positive air. She was young, only 25, and you could tell she had recently been a gymnast herself from her physique
Dominique loved her right away. She'd gotten out of shape and she knew it, but her motivation and enthusiasm returned. She was shocked when Luminita asked for her input on training and would read her body language as a gauge for energy or exhaustion.
It was also the first time she was coached entirely in Romanian–Luminita didn't speak English.
Training went smoothly for eight months. She got back into top shape, and Dominique was hoping to compete at the Goodwill Games in 1998. The support of her friends, family, fans, and Luminita motivated her. She planned to debut a new vault–a handspring layout 1/1, and she had new routines on the other events to highlight her development as a more mature gymnast
Luminita told her she saw Dominique winning, with two Romanians in 2nd and 3rd. It was amazing to have someone tell her they thought she was good enough to win. The Romanians in question were Amanar and Olaru
She almost didn't get a chance to compete. Since she'd been abandoned by the Karolyis, the powers that be didn't think she deserved to compete and Tata had to fight with Kathy Kelly, the VP of the women's program, to get her on the roster. The subjectivity and politics surrounding USAG is, in her current mind, the sport's worst enemy
USAG finally agreed to send Arthur Akopyan to evaluate Dominique and see if she was ready for competition. He actually took the time to tell her how impressed he was with her improvements and her routines
She had a fever of 104 the evening before the AA competition. She couldn't believe how quickly the flu-like symptoms came on after the evening practice and she didn't want anyone to know she was sick–she'd worked to hard to give her competitors a mental edge. Luminita took care of her in her hotel room.
Morning practice didn't go well–she was lethargic and her balance felt off. Luminita helped her keep her anxiety under control by talking things out
After practice she took a three hour nap and felt much better.
On July 19, 1998 she won the AA gold at the Goodwill Games, the first time a non-Russian woman had won. As Luminita predicted, it was Dominique in first and two Romanians in second and third
She considers this competition to be one of her greatest. The fact USAG had tried to bar her from the competition made the victory even sweeter. When she did win, she was too happy to be annoyed with Kathy Kelly telling her she'd been her biggest cheerleader all along.
She'd proved the Karolyis wrong–she wasn't finished, and she could win again, and win without them
Weight and Disordered Eating
Before she left for the games, she weighed 43 kilos, 94.6 lbs. She had a love/hate relationship with the scale. She loved when the numbers dropped and hated when they went up. Her new routines required her to be as light as possible
Hated the process of cutting weight–it took her back to how the Karolyis would humiliate her if they suspected she'd gained weight. She was only worthy when she was skinny
This time she tried to approach it with a healthier mindset and develop a better self image, but it was challenging.
She grew nearly 8 inches after the Olympics, going from 4'4 and 70 pounds to 5'0 and 98 pounds. It was considered tall for a gymnast at the time. She's always wondered if the growth spurt came from finally being allowed to eat. From 10-14, her caloric intake was very limited even though she spent her entire day doing intense workouts, and she wonders if her growth was stunted from malnourishment
She tried to make herself purge on a few occasions, but she was never any good at it. Instead she got into a cycle of binging and starving–eating freely on the weekends and starving herself during the week. She would skip dinner and run at the track to burn off everything she'd binged on the weekend. When Friday came, she'd start the cycle over
Didn't realize how unhealthy this was at the time
Aunt Janice was the only adult who didn't monitor her food intake, so she was the only adult she felt safe eating in front of
When her daily weigh in showed she'd gained a pound, Luminita would take her to the track to run and burn off some calories after practice. One day on the way there, she discovered Dominique's secret stash of treats in the car. She was angry and disappointed and made sure Dominique knew she'd be running every day. It put Dominique in a bad mood, made worse when Luminita called Mama to meet them at the track. She didn't like it when gymnastics and family mixed or when Mama ran with them, which was becoming more frequent. Mama loved any opportunity to exercise
Dominique would have to wait while Mama did extra laps, sometimes leaving and going home while Mama ran for hours. She understands now that the exercise helped Mama decompress and was her only outlet, and that Mama was kept on a very tight leash by Tata
After Goodwill games, immediately started training for Nationals. She broke out in hives on her face the week before the competition, probably from the stress of training on a hyperextended knee that happened in vault training
Made errors on her bar routine both days, which put her out of contention to win the AA, but she placed third and won BB and VT
Desperately needed a rest. Convinced Tata to send Mama, Luminita and Dominique to Cancun for a few days. She was very excited to have a real vacation
Training went well in the month after Cancun
In October 1998, Tata and Luminita had a major argument. Tata came to Dominique's private practice area in the back of the gym during practice. Usually he only watched for a little while, but this time he stayed.
Tata and Luminita started arguing–it was never good when they talked during her training. They had recently been butting heads, mostly about money–Luminita had been asking for a raise for a while, Tata thought she was greedy and demanding
Dominique watched them fight more and more aggressively, watching her stability disappear. Finally, Tata yelled that Luminita was fired, and something about having her deported. Dominique knew he meant what he said
Tata told Dominique that Luminita had to be patient in building a life in the US, that he was paying her as much as he could in the early stages of the gym, and he had intended to give her a raise, but on his terms. She knew that Tata and Mama were starting the process of bringing Luminita's boyfriend over to keep her happy
Apparently a relative (of Tata's) had been repeatedly encouraging Luminita to ask for more money
Tata grumbled that he'd find her a new coach. Dominique was furious–didn't he remember how hard it hard been to find Luminita? Why couldn't he hold on to the one person who gave her stability and helped her love gymnastics again?
She knew this was the beginning of the end. All of Dominique's resentment and anger at Tata overflowed
Suspects that Tata knew he couldn't stop her from growing up and getting more independent and was scared that she now had her driver's license
Remembers one of the few times she had had friends over lately. Tata got in one of his moods and started yelling.
Luminita was there with Mama in the kitchen
Dominique was embarrassed–she knew her friends could hear him yelling. Tata never cared who he acted out in front of. These public rants were also gossip fodder in the gymnastics community, where people whispered about how unstable/crazy/belligerent he was.
She was angry at Tata for humiliating her and answered back, and everything got even louder. Her friends were terrified upstairs
Mama tried to calm him down. Tata yelled he'd never given Dominique permission to have friends over, and Mama said she'd given permission. That made it worse, because she hadn't asked him. Dominique recognized how angry Tata was and that she had to get out of the house before he hit her
Ran. Stayed out for an hour before Mama and Luminita came looking for her. Knew she had to go back and face Tata, plus her friends were still there.
She was 17 and the primary bread winner, but he treated her like she was 10
Was beginning to feel like, if she was making the money, she should have a say in how it was spent. She wanted to know how much she made and how much it was spent. He told her not to worry about it, but she did–he had big plans and took big risks. Doesn't think he thought twice about taking the training stipend when she went elite or understood what it meant for her and college
How could she blame them for not explaining it when they didn't really understand it herself?
When she asked about college a week before he fired Luminita, he told her they'd give her money. But she knew how he'd take away the car keys from her and Mama when he got angry so they knew he was in control. She couldn't trust he'd send money on time every month. He was furious she'd question him. She wanted to know where the money she'd earned was. She feared most of it was sunk in the gym and bad investments, and prayed there was enough left for college and her future
Tata was quickly learning how much money was required to build a successful gym after construction was complete
On the day he fired Luminita, she hurried home and searched for luggage. She knew she had less than 10 minutes before Mama and Tata got home to check on her and she had to be gone. She felt horrible about leaving Mama and Christina behind, but she couldn't stop thinking what Tata would do when he tracked he down
Drove straight to where Luminita lived with the other coaches. She also called her cousins Brian and Spiros, who she was close to, asking them to meet her there. Luminita was freaking out too and wanted to make sure they were out of the house before Tata came looking. He was already trying to reach them on the phone
Brian made some calls and arranged for Dominique and Luminita to have a room at a hotel. They stayed up all night planning–it seemed surreal. Luminita was worried he'd call the police and have her deported. Briefly called Aunt Janice in the morning to let her know she was okay. Janice told her her parents had reported her missing
It didn't Tata long to track them down–he followed Spiros one day. She was terrified when he left messages on her phone letting her know he'd found them
Had never thought she'd run away like this, but she wasn't going to be like Mama, a grown woman letting Tata run her life, taking the burnt of the abuse
Emancipation
The details from the next days were a blur. Ended up hiring a lawyer to help her emancipate herself. When she left home, the only money she had was a check for $10,000 made payable to her for a professional competition she'd done a month earlier. It was one of the few checks handed to her and not Tata, and she started her life on that money
Learned that by the age of 17 she had earned more nearly one million dollars. Virtually all of it had been spent.
"Spoiled brat gymnast divorces parents" was the headline from the case. She was embarrassed to read them in line at the grocery store. She wished she could disappear–she'd been a public figure since she was a child. Most of the stories were judgemental, poorly researched, and loaded with misinformation
She believed she was entitled to have a say in what happened with her earnings and didn't understand why people would label her spoiled and be so cruel because she wanted to take control of her life. She just wanted to be a part of the decision-making process.
Throughout the process, Tata never acknowledged he'd made any mistakes with her or with the gym that had eaten up her savings
Her childhood had been devoted to making sure she brought honor to the Moceanu name, that she must never disgrace the home. It had been painful, but she had followed the rules. During the trial, it was heartbreaking to see Tata and Mama across the courtroom, looking like they were losing everything that had meant anything to them. She dreaded having to state on the stand that Tata had abused her and physically hit her, which she'd never said in public. But she didn't see any other way to break free
Contacted by William "Bill" J Hickel III, a CPA who'd read her story and offered to help her get her finances in order. She accepted, since she was amassing huge legal fees. His plan was to get control of they gym without a court battle to keep the fees low.
He set up a series of face-to-face meeting with Tata. Instead of trying to challenge him, he tried to show him he was an honest man who wasn't taking advantage of Dominique
Tata ended up trusting Bill and eventually signed over the gym. It was originally supposed to be held in trust until Dominique was 35
Tata cried when he signed the papers, thinking it would mean he lost Dominique forever. But the gym was also about to go into foreclosure
Bill helped her avoid foreclosure and found a stable, non-gymnastics tenant who signed a 10 year lease. When the market permitted, she'd be able to sell the building and hopefully regain some money by cashing it out
He also helped her manage what was left of her money–she wasn't wealthy, but she could make a life
Was no one in the court process a mandated reporter? How did the evidence in the emancipation case not trigger an well-child investigation on Christina's behalf?
Was no one in the court process a mandated reporter? How did the evidence in the emancipation case not trigger an well-child investigation on Christina's behalf?
We're there even rules about that back then? Was Dominique as the cash cow the one getting the majority of the abuse? I vaguely remember this (figure skating was my sport back then, not gymnastics) and "spoiled brat who doesn't want to listen to her parents" was definitely the impression I remember getting. Publicity wasn't on her side, it is actually kinda surprising the courts were. The financial stuff must have been pretty egregious because emancipation didn't feel like a common thing back then.
Glad she found the CPA to help her get it all straightened out. I think she is also too hard on herself about not knowing her money or finances at that age. I know I was very ignorant of how much college was costing, what kinds of scholarships or aid I was getting and just figuring it would all work out in the end. Very naive--as most 17-year-olds are i think.
