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Chalked Up: My Life in Elite Gymnastics Paperback – April 21, 2009
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Updated With a New Introduction
“I am grateful to Jennifer Sey for sharing such an honest account of her experiences as an elite gymnast. She has eloquently and fairly exposed a dark side to our sport that parents have long needed to be made aware of.”
—Dominique Moceanu, Olympic Gold Medal Winning Gymnast
Fanciful dreams of becoming the next Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. Her early success propelled her family to sacrifice everything to help her become, by age 11, one of America’s elite. But as she set her sights higher and higher, Jennifer began to change, setting her needs, her health, and her well-being aside in the name of winning. And the adults in her life refused to notice her downward spiral.
Now, Sey reveals the tarnish beneath her gold medals. A powerful portrait of intensity and drive, eating disorders and stage parents, abusive coaches and manipulative businessmen, Chalked Up is the story of a young girl whose dreams would become subsumed by the adults around her.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 21, 2009
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.72 x 8 inches
- ISBN-100061351474
- ISBN-13978-0061351471
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Jennifer Sey was belittled and ostracized by much of the gymnastics community for telling the truth in Chalked Up. Yet she not only weathered every blow, she helped build a movement. A fearless and exacting writer, she continues to hold the abusers and enablers accountable. Twelve years after publication, Sey’s personal story is as powerful an indictment – and as furious a warning – as anything you’ll read in sports." — Joan Ryan, author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
"Jennifer Sey was belittled and ostracized by much of the gymnastics community for telling the truth in Chalked Up. Yet she not only weathered every blow, she helped build a movement. A fearless and exacting writer, she continues to hold the abusers and enablers accountable. Fourteen years after publication, Sey’s personal story is as powerful an indictment – and as furious a warning – as anything you’ll read in sports." — Joan Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“A cautionary tale to not just athletes, parents, coaches, and judges but to fans of gymnastics… intense, gripping, and powerful.” — Kathryn Bertine, ESPN columnist and author of All the Sundays Yet to Come: A Skater's Journey
“A remarkably candid, unblinking portrait of what it truly takes to become a champion…that may forever alter the way you watch sports.” — Jake Tapper, Senior National Correspondent, ABC News
“Chalked Up pulls no punches…Sey’s writing is brilliant…offering perceptive psychoanalysis of everyone in her isolated world…Chalked Up is proof that she still has alot of guts.” — International Gymnast
“She has eloquently and fairly exposed a dark side to our sport that parents have long needed to be made aware of.” — Dominique Moceanu, Olympic Gold Medal Winning Gymnast
“Sey writes with vivid, clear-eyed candor; she doesn’t blame others, instead feeling that all the pressure came from within…To this day, this former athlete, now a highly successful businesswoman, is haunted by feelings of failure. Young athletes and their parents would appreciate Sey’s book.” — Library Journal
“A courageous story befitting a comeback kid―a timely release for the 2008 Olympics.” — Publishers Weekly
“Is the wonder of seeing these tiny bodies propel through space worth the horror they suffer to achieve grace and beauty? Or―and this is a conclusion the Sey refuses to draw―is this “sport” just institutionalized, commercialized, child abuse?” — Penthouse
“CURLING UP WITH A GOOD HEALTH BOOK: In 1986 Sey was the number one gymnast in America. Her memoir recounts what it took to get there. As a former gymnast myself (no where NEAR as accomplished), I relished this unvarnished account of the sport.” — Real Simple Magazine (blog), Liz Krieger
“Sey’s memoir has sent shock waves through the tightly knit world of top athletes, sparking controversy…She hopes her book might serve as both a wake-up call to a sport that she says she still loves and a lesson to parents whose children enter the world of top athletics.” — The Observer, UK
From the Back Cover
Fanciful dreams of gold-medal glory led Jennifer Sey to the local gymnastics club in 1976. A natural aptitude and a willingness to endure punishing hard work took her to the elite ranks by the time she was eleven years old. Jennifer traveled the country and the world competing for the U.S. National team, but the higher she set her sights—the world championships, the 1988 Olympics—the more she began to ignore her physical and mental well-being. Jennifer suffered devastating injuries, developed an eating disorder, and lived far from family and friends, all for the sake of winning. When her parents and coaches lost sight of her best interests, Jennifer had no choice but to redefine her path into adulthood. She had to save herself.
Chalked Up delivers an unforgettable coming-of-age story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt not good enough and has finally come to accept who they were meant to be.
About the Author
The 1986 national gymnastics champion and a seven-time U.S. National team member, Jennifer Sey is a graduate of Stanford University. A mother of four children, she lives in San Francisco and produced the documentary, Athlete A.
Product details
- Publisher : It Books; Reprint edition (April 21, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0061351474
- ISBN-13 : 978-0061351471
- Item Weight : 8.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.72 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #424,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #93 in Gymnastics (Books)
- #111 in Sports Health & Safety (Books)
- #13,212 in Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Jennifer Sey is an American author, filmmaker, business executive and retired artistic gymnast. She was the 1986 USA Gymnastics National Champion, and a 7-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team.
Her first memoir, “Chalked Up,” was released in 2008 and detailed the coaching cruelty inflicted on children in the sport of gymnastics. Sey also produced the 2020 Emmy award-winning documentary film, “Athlete A,” which connected the crimes of Larry Nassar to systemic abuses in the Olympic movement.
Sey began working at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999 as a marketing assistant, rising to Chief Marketing Officer and then Brand President until, in January 2022, she was asked to leave the company because of her vocal opposition to the extended closure of San Francisco's public schools during the covid pandemic. Sey rejected a million-dollar severance package, so that she could be free to tell her story. She does so in her second memoir, "Levi's Unbuttoned."
She is a mother of four, and now resides in Denver with her family.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's storytelling style and detailed writing. The book teaches valuable lessons about perseverance and goal setting for parents and coaches of high-level athletes. Readers describe the story as heartwarming and tragic, with a clear-eyed look at the sport.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and interesting. They describe it as one of the best memoirs they've read and a must-read for gymnastics fans.
"...This book is a must read for anyone to take a deep dive into the back story of athletics especially gymnasts in America and the sacrifice of..." Read more
"...But I think this ambivalence actually makes the book more interesting, as she attempts to see things (briefly) from her parents and younger brother..." Read more
"...I really enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and it really gets you into the mind set of what she must of been going through and feeling..." Read more
"This is an excellent book that reveals the challenges, dangers, and commitment required by elite gymnasts." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's storytelling. They find it well-written, with a straightforward style and detailed descriptions. The writing is accurate and relatable, making it an engaging read. Readers appreciate the author's candor and authenticity in sharing her story. Overall, they describe the book as poignant and uncliched.
"...But "Chalked Up" is actually a fascinating,un-cliched read...." Read more
"...She did an amazing job getting back into her brain at the time and telling us how it looked from the inside...." Read more
"...I really enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and it really gets you into the mind set of what she must of been going through and feeling..." Read more
"...the end, the portrait of Jennifer Sey that emerges in these pages is poignant, revealing as it does the long-term emotional damage that the world of..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's insights. They say it teaches a lesson about when to push yourself and when to stop. The book provides important information for parents about challenges, dangers, and commitment. It is described as a fascinating read that teaches perseverance and goal setting.
"...This book teaches us a lesson, when to push yourself and when to stop and ask: How strong do you think I am? How much can I take of this?" Read more
"...But "Chalked Up" is actually a fascinating,un-cliched read...." Read more
"This is an excellent book that reveals the challenges, dangers, and commitment required by elite gymnasts." Read more
"...firsthand the positive influence of the sport on girls - teaching them perseverance, goal setting, natural consequences, respect for their body and..." Read more
Customers find the book's gymnastics content helpful. They say skilled coaches can succeed in elite gymnastics, and it's a powerful tool to launch young girls into adulthood. The book provides insights on the challenges, dangers, and commitment required by elite gymnasts. It is useful for both parents and coaches of high-level athletes.
"...book that reveals the challenges, dangers, and commitment required by elite gymnasts." Read more
"...Not all elite programs are like this. In fact, gymnastics is a powerful tool to launch young girls into adulthood...." Read more
"Interesting take on gymnastics." Read more
Customers find the story gripping and heartwarming. They say it's a tragic tale of a sport they love to watch but dislike knowing about.
"As a gymnast in the 80s (but only Class 1!), I was gripped and touched by this story...." Read more
"Great book. Beautifully written, tragic tale of sport I love to watch but hate knowing the truth behind the medals." Read more
"This is a clear-eyed, heart-wrenching look at a sport that should be impossible...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2022The truth of this book has really taken the magic out of my life long love of the Olympics! I knew of the sacrifice but not like this plus the newest allegations /conviction of the coverup of the team Dr!
I was not able to access any of the photos on my kindle app!
This book is a must read for anyone to take a deep dive into the back story of athletics especially gymnasts in America and the sacrifice of allowing their childhood to disappear .
- Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2011The book Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey gives the reader a sneak peek into the world of elite gymnastics' merciless coaching, overzealous parents, eating disorders and elusive Olympic dreams. It is a collection of the authors and her gymnast friends' hard memories from when they were top-ranked gymnasts. What is truly impact full of the book is that coaches dream of the Olympics even more than the gymnasts themselves, the better their gymnasts are the more money they are able to get out of them and this isn't just 40 years ago- it is happening today. This is evident when the author states "You're not even trying! What the hell is the matter with you!.. Jesus, Sey! You're throwing it all away. No wonder you can't do anything. You're fat!" Sey's coaches fit perfectly the stereotypical thought of people who are willing to sacrifice their gymnast's life to get some good money out of them; sometimes pushing them so far that they'd risk potentially life-threatening injuries not only from the sport itself, the mal-nutrition they were all suffering from, but from the intense verbal abuse they had to go through daily, being told they weren't good enough, they were never going to make it, being threatened to be kicked out of the gym if they didn't do a skill on time, being told they were as fat as cows; when we all know and their coaches probably did too that they were very thin. On a daily basis, Sey's coaches would try to "sugar coat" everything; from an injury to a weight gain to a skill that that wasn't quite ready for a meet. "I awoke to a full leg cast, hip to toe, and the "good news" was that it was not my knee. The knee injury was death to a gymnast. The fabled anterior cruciate tear, which required endless reparative surgeries was what id feared. Tammy Smith, a former Parkette, had been forced to retire from this injury. I had broken my femur, one of the largest and strongest bones in the human body, nearly in two. The doctor had reset the bone while I was anesthetized, and luckily, there was no internal fixation requited to align and fuse the fracture. It was a supracondylar break, just above the knee joint, which would likely result in knee arthritis later in my life. My coaches, who dome to Montreal to watch the competition and lend support, railed around me "it's not your knee" John cheered. "it's only broken" Mrs. Strauss rejoiced." How could her coaches possibly been so cheery? Were they aware that their top ranked gymnast in the country had broken her femur and would probably never be the same gymnast again? Yes, a femur break is "better" than a knee cartilage tear but it hurts twice as much... It seems as if Sey used this book as a way to tell others about difficulties she experienced while an elite gymnast. People can argue all day long about if Sey's parents should have been more pro-active and less focused upon their child's potential Olympic medal but that is something only the author can have a say on after all, she was the rising star of the sixties. This book teaches us a lesson, when to push yourself and when to stop and ask: How strong do you think I am? How much can I take of this?
- Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2008The subtitle of this book sounds like an Afterschool Special. But "Chalked Up" is actually a fascinating,un-cliched read. The author has a lot of things that set her apart from the "typical" athlete, but also enough in common so that it should resonate with anyone who has trained for and competed in an elite sport.
Sey depicts herself as a sensitive, perfectionistic child whose determination to win came from inside, not just from coaches and parents. As a gymnast, she was emotional, anxiety-prone, and did not receive the attention of many top trainers as a result. But she was hardworking, talented, and managed to distinguish herself in the sport, until pressure and injury made her leave the sport. (Though she excelled in school and went to Stanford, she still considered herself a failure at the time.)
As I read, I sensed a struggle from the author between the desire to tell just how bad it was for her and the other young gymnasts, and another to be fair to the various adults in her life who were not always there for her. One example is that she claims she has not told her parents about the book (until it comes out), but dedicates it to her mom. But I think this ambivalence actually makes the book more interesting, as she attempts to see things (briefly) from her parents and younger brother's viewpoint, and avoids portraying herself as a blameless victim. While there were subjects that seemed too hastily touched on (like sexual abuse by some of the coaches), I'd recommend this book to any gymnast - and perfectionist.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2018I was a level 9 gymnasts in the early 90's. Jennifer Sey is about 6 years older than me and though I never got to her level, all the names in this book were reminiscent to me. I read all those USA Gymnastics magazines and likley had the one with her on the cover. Gymnastics is a hard sport to really understand without a book like this. She did an amazing job getting back into her brain at the time and telling us how it looked from the inside. I wrote my own memoir about abuse at the hands of a gymnastics coach, and reading this brought up a lot for me. Ms. Sey's writing is so detailed and spot on that I remembered things that I haven't in years. The hard truth of LOVING a sport so much and at the same time KNOWING it is destroying you. If you are considering allowing your son or daughter especially to take gymnastics to a high level, read this book now. Talk to your children about the balance of life and that gymnastics is a sport for young kids, but not fro grown women. Prep them that quitting is not failure. I highly recommend this read for any parent who wasn't a gymnast and is considering encouraging their children to be.
Torey Ivanic, Author of No Big Deal
- Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2008This is a book written by an actual elite gymnast in the 80s. It's about exactly what it says on the front cover. This book tells you first hand about her life growing up as a gymnast, from the very begining when she was just a small child starting with some fun classes all the way to when she was an elite gymnast. It tells you the life that you don't get to see just watching the tv screen, the good parts, and then some of the bad parts that go with being an elite gymnast. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and it really gets you into the mind set of what she must of been going through and feeling all through her competative life as a gymnast. I couldn't put it down. I definantly recomend this book for anyone that loves gymnastics !!
Top reviews from other countries
- Sean TalbotReviewed in Canada on March 4, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Chalked up
This is one of the saddest and most poignant books for gymnastics in this day of age. This book makes me want to cry for all the gymnasts that are from the US.
This deals with the life of one of the USA national champions. She talks about her life and she shows that her mental difficulties are not of her own making but she has made something of her tragedy.
With all the negative press that comes out about gymnastics this book shows that there are good coaches as well as bad ones as well.
Jennifer Sey is a great rolemodel for many gymnasts myself included. She isn't shy about telling her story and showing how her life went after she failed at her dreams.
I am so happy to have read this book and I think that this is one of my favourite books by gymnasts that I have had a chance to read. Yes it's sad and it frustrates me so much to see just what happens or has happened in the US and really other parts of the world. I hope that by more women putting their story out their that we will learn from the horrific past and just maybe these remarkable women will be able to find peace and heal.
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KudriavkaReviewed in Spain on February 26, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Mejor de lo que esperaba
Muy bien escrito. Mejor de lo que esperaba de una gimnasta, la verdad. Sí, es muy interesante para cualquiera que quiera saber cómo se sienten los que están al otro lado, los niños dóciles, los atletas que se esfuerzan sin quejarse para que nosotros podamos disfrutar viéndolos pero además es un libro completo, con sentimientos complejos como la autoexigencia y la ambición que se salen un poco de lo habitual. Eso sí, los que tengan un hijo en la alta competición y quieran seguir cerrando los ojos...¡mejor que no lo lean!
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Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on October 11, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars J'ai adoré ce livre
J'ai adoré ce livre, je l'ai lu en quelques jours. Très contente de l'avoir trouvé sur amazon car il n'était pas disponible ailleurs.
Tres bon rapport qualité prix
- Allison CutlerReviewed in Canada on February 6, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars What every gymnastic parent should read
A great read! Loved it!
- AlexaReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2013
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read but take it with a pinch of salt
Jennifer Sey was a world class gymnast in the 1980's. This autobiography is the story of her rise and fall. It takes us from when she was a little child, right up until she retired and also gives us some glimpses of her life as an adult.
The book was definitely interesting. I knew very little about Sey, or the gymnastics club Parkettes, before reading the book. Sey suffered some awful abuse at the hands of her coaches, including being forced to train on broken bones, constantly being told she was fat and regularly being emotionally manipulated. She also speaks about other issues in gymnastics such as the politics behind winning and the scandal with Don Peters (who was sexually inappropriate with a number of his gymnasts). It is a heart-breaking story as even at the height or her success Sey still doesn't think she is good enough and despite signs that she was desperately calling out for help she never seemed to get any.
However, like Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, this autobiography is a very stark, very negative view of gymnastics. Sey seems to have forgotten why she loved the sport so much. She says that she often wanted to quit the sport, said she hated it, but she never gave a reason as to why she didn't other than she wanted to win.
Sey comes across as being very bitter, which is understandable, but didn't endear her to me while reading. She has something negative to say about everyone: her team mates, coaches, judges, friends... everyone, whether it was about their hair or make up or fashion choices. She also makes sweeping generalisation about the sport such as "most of the male coaches...came to gymnastics either as a business opportunity...or through an unseemly interest in being around little girls in leotards". This simply isn't true and it makes gymnastics seem like something it isn't, especially to anyone reading the book who hasn't spent time in the sport.
I also found it hard to believe everything Sey says in the book. This is partly because of what I have read online - team members disagreeing with what she has written - and partly because some of what she has said doesn't match up to the footage I have seen of the events. This just means that I would take parts of the book with a pinch of salt.
Despite the negatives I would still say this is a fascinating book. It's interesting and really in-depth. Unlike some other gymnastics autobiographies (such as Dominique Moceanu's) it really focuses on gymnastics as opposed to anything else. I think stories like Sey's need to be told because gymnastics during the 80s did come under a lot of criticism and it is important for people to know about it to prevent it happening again. But just because of how bitter Sey seems, and because of other sources, I think maybe some of her memories aren't quite true to fact. Well written and definitely worth a read, but take it with a pinch of salt.