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“Chalked Up” by Jennifer Sey

May 18th, 2008 by arielal09

              As I mentioned in my last post I was a gymnast. Having said that I just finished reading Jennifer Sey’s “Chalked Up”. Along with that I have read other people’s articles, blogs, and other forms of writing, many of them with negative opinions about the book and about her. Most of the people who write these comments are gymnasts, and it surprises me how few of them seem to relate to Sey. Instead of relating they do the opposite in a way. They deny any of the things Jennifer writes about happened at one of the gyms she trained: Parkettes. Saying it is the author’s perception of view as a form of criticism in my opinion it is ridiculous. Of course it is her perception of view, it her memoir. Of course this is not the absolute truth about what was happening at Parkettes or in her whole life in general, but when do we really know the absolute truth? The only real truth we have is our own, and Sey’s truth it is what is written in the book, whether whoever reads it agrees or disagrees.              

    Along with finishing the book I read on a website “Sey memoir not all it’s chalked up to be” by Lisa Lazar, one of the gymnasts that trained with Sey in Parkettes and is mentioned in the book. I tried commenting on it but somehow failed. Apparently I needed to be longed in somewhere to comment on it. Therefore I chose to comment on my own page. Lazar says as her argument that the book is from Sey’s point of view. Of course it is, as I mentioned before. Jennifer Sey’s book is about what she remembers. It is from her point of view only. Lisa Lazar also mentions how Jennifer failed to put many positive experiences about Parkettes. I say that if she chose to only put her “negative” experience then that’s up to her. Lazar also mentions that it is true (as Sey mentions many times in the book) that they were yelled at and weighted every day. She defends this by saying it was much worse at other gyms. I don’t understand how you can be okay with yelling; screaming coaches who and even threaten to keep you out of competitions because of your weight. I also don’t understand how it can be okay if it is much worse in other gyms. She says all sports do weight and scream at athletes. Maybe all sports do that, yes, but is it okay to do it at the level that gymnastics does? Lazar also mentions how “is a shame that Jen did not take the time to research and reveal any of this in her book” about how the Strausses have made positive changes at Parkettes over the last 20 years. The last 20 years of Parkettes are not relevant to Sey’s gymnastics experience and therefore it is unimportant to include them in the book. The whole book is Jennifer’s perception of truth, since it is obviously her memoir. If it doesn’t match Liza Lazar it doesn’t mean Sey lied. It is what Sey remembers not Lazar.                

Having given my opinion of Liza Lazar’s article I can say I do not see how any ex-gymnast cannot relate to “Chalked Up”. It is true it includes many negative experiences, but how many of us gymnasts didn’t have those? The book may not be the “absolute truth” but it includes an insight on what gymnastics can really be like. I cannot say my experience was nowhere near as traumatic as Sey’s was but I still manage to relate to many of her stories. This book to me shows many truths other ex-gymnasts aren’t ready to confront such as weight problems, injuries, and intimidating coaches. The stories Sey’s writes show how they still haunt her, and for that I applaud her bravery in writing such an honest book about herself. I believe it a great book for any person who went to an even slightly similar experience. In the end, whether you agree with the book, don’t understand it, disagree, or just don’t care, it is there to show another side of gymnastics.

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