Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
39th out of 962 books
—
100 voters
Off Balance: A Memoir
AT FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team, the first and only American women’s team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixyish appearance and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her li...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 12th 2012
by Touchstone
(first published June 5th 2012)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,718)
I first encountered Dominique Moceanu the same way everyone else did: on TV when she was a bright-eyed 14 year-old at the 1996 Atlanta Games. I still remember the little tumbler with an eerie resemblance to Nadia, talking all about how in this moment her life was "absolutely perfect." That struck me so much that now, 16 years later, I still remember my first thoughts at hearing those words. I thought, "Well, that kid's either naive or lying." After reading this memoir, I suspect it was -- and st...more
Dominique was my favorite gymnast in the '96 Olympics; I remembered her immediately when I heard about this book and I couldn't wait to read it. After getting to "know" her better, she's everything I thought she would be: intelligent, articulate, and inspiring. (As an aside, I feel like she and I could be good friends if we knew each other.)
I found Domi's Romanian upbringing fascinating, and I loved getting a look into the other aspects of her life (although the gymnastics bits were obviously th...more
I found Domi's Romanian upbringing fascinating, and I loved getting a look into the other aspects of her life (although the gymnastics bits were obviously th...more
Jan 27, 2013
Colby
added it
Dominique Moceanu has been an idol of mine when I first saw her beat another idol, Shannon Miller, in 1995 at the age of 13. I was 8. Being a fellow gymnast, though I was never an Elite, I can relate to a lot of her struggles in our sport, one that is, at times, physically, mentally, and emotionally grueling. I always looked up to Dominique and envied (what seemed like) her perfect relationship with her coaches, Bela and Marta. When I first started out & she was rising to fame, I couldn't st...more
What an amazing eye-opener. I've been a fan of the Magnificent Seven since the beginning. Once Dominique's family issues hit the press well after the Atlanta Olympics, I found myself incredibly curious about her life and experiences.
This book served not only as an eye-opener to her rough family life growing up, but also to the insanity of the Karolyis as well as the politics surrounding Olympic gymnast selection and the organization of USA Gymnastics as a whole.
The horrible treatment she receive...more
This book served not only as an eye-opener to her rough family life growing up, but also to the insanity of the Karolyis as well as the politics surrounding Olympic gymnast selection and the organization of USA Gymnastics as a whole.
The horrible treatment she receive...more
2 likes · like · see review
Off Balance, by Dominique Moceanu, seemed a bit...off balance. It goes back and forth between the story of Moceanu discovering the existence of, and later, meeting, the sister her parents gave up for adoption because she was born without legs, and the "inside" story of Dominique's gymnastic career. That structure left me feeling off balance. I found myself wishing for more detail and resolution of the many threads that wove through these stories.
I initially read the book more for the story of t...more
I initially read the book more for the story of t...more
Dominique Moceanu is like the Real Housewives of the gymnastics world. There's always been some drama around her and I'm never sure if she deserves half the negative publicity that comes with it.
That said, I was curious and found it interesting.
PROS:
My experience in the sport and attenuated connections with the elite athletes gives me an only-slightly-filtered idea of what really goes on. I would say her book is pretty accurate about coaches (certainly in her praise of Alexander Alexandrov) and...more
That said, I was curious and found it interesting.
PROS:
My experience in the sport and attenuated connections with the elite athletes gives me an only-slightly-filtered idea of what really goes on. I would say her book is pretty accurate about coaches (certainly in her praise of Alexander Alexandrov) and...more
If I could give the book a 2.75 I would. I liked the book, to an extent. To me the writing was jumpy and somewhat hard to follow. I wish she would have told the part about her sister in a few chapters together instead of back and forth because it came across as confusing more than interesting.
I believe her views were slightly slanted. Dominique was a very, very young gymnast with an abusive father, I could see her feeling crushed by a coach who was very similar to her father.
One thing that kin...more
I believe her views were slightly slanted. Dominique was a very, very young gymnast with an abusive father, I could see her feeling crushed by a coach who was very similar to her father.
One thing that kin...more
1 like · like · see review
Yes, truth is often much stranger than fiction. Dominique Moceanu wins gold at the 1996 Olympics after years of intense training at the hands of the same pair who coached Nadia Comaneci to her perfect scores. Most of the book describes the mind games that go on as the coaches force Dominique to push herself beyond the point of pain.
Every few chapters, the more interesting story (for me) is told about how Dominique discovers as an adult, about to give birth to her own daughter, that she has a you...more
Every few chapters, the more interesting story (for me) is told about how Dominique discovers as an adult, about to give birth to her own daughter, that she has a you...more
Moceanu's telling of the dark side of U.S. women's gymnastics feels genuine and heartbreaking at the same time. It's almost surprising that she didn't have a rougher "dark time" than the one she described considering the physical and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of both her coaches and her own father.
Certainly there are two sides to every story, but her depiction of the Karolyis doesn't seem too far fetched. Her experience with them is actually quite a contrast to Nadia Comaneci's des...more
Certainly there are two sides to every story, but her depiction of the Karolyis doesn't seem too far fetched. Her experience with them is actually quite a contrast to Nadia Comaneci's des...more
I enjoyed this book for different reasons than why I usually enjoy books. The reading was very easy. I normally don't get as much enjoyment out of books that I find so easy to turn the pages. A young student could easily pick this book up and write a book report on a biography for school. It is appropriate for kids and is a great story.
Moceanu really has a compelling story to tell, and I got wrapped up in it. I was fascinated by her life training with the Karolyis, her upbringing with her Romani...more
Moceanu really has a compelling story to tell, and I got wrapped up in it. I was fascinated by her life training with the Karolyis, her upbringing with her Romani...more
I love watching women's gymnastics during the Olympics, and so when this book caught my eye on the library shelf, I grabbed it! It was an interesting read. I really did not know much about Dominique Moceanu before reading this book, but I learned a lot about her. One of the most interesting things I learned was that she had a "secret" sister that no one in her family told her about. Apparently her parents had a child in between Dominique and her younger sister. The baby was born deformed (she ha...more
I saw Dominique Moceanu interviewed on "The Road to London" on Universal Sports. They mentioned her book, "Off Balance." This is my favorite thing about my kindle, no hour long trips to the book store (one way,) I immediately purchased it and devoured it.
Gymnastics is my favorite summer Olympic sport. And I have to admit, I wanted the dirt on Bela and Marta Korolyi. And I got it!
Moceanu certainly had difficulty in her life. And she lays it out without whining or justifications or sympathy seeki...more
Gymnastics is my favorite summer Olympic sport. And I have to admit, I wanted the dirt on Bela and Marta Korolyi. And I got it!
Moceanu certainly had difficulty in her life. And she lays it out without whining or justifications or sympathy seeki...more
With the Summer Olympics 2012 fast approaching, this is the perfect time to get to really know a past olympic superstar, Dominique Moceanu in Off Balance. Readers will remember Dominique as she was a member of the 1996 Women's Olympic Gymnastics team known as the "Magnificent Seven". People know Dominique as one of the greatest gymnastics but what people probably don't know about Dominique is the person, mom, wife, sister, and daughter. In Off Balance Dominique shares a personal look at her life...more
if you have not read the book, it does not follow a timeline Dominique start off in the year 2007 then skip to 1980 and keeps skip back and forth through out the whole book. She also was why to hard on Bela and Marta Karolyi in my opinion and I never read anything from other gymnasts that was coach by Bela and Marta saying they ever were mean to them, control them or abused them in anyway. Plus Dominique did not even talk about the time she spent training under Mary Lee Tracy at Cincinnati Gymna...more
Over the summer, my best friend's boyfriend called me and said, "Katie...do you know who Dominique Moceanu is???" Being an avid Olympics fan, I of course knew of her as the little brunette gymnast that was one fraction of the Magnificent Seven from the '96 Atlanta games that brought home all-around women's gold for the first time to America. What I didn't know was how insane the rest of her life was. As soon as finding out about the extreme situations in her life, I got on the waiting list for h...more
Ultimately it was my happy memories of Atlanta's Magnificent Seven from 1996 that led me to this book, and while the truths I read flipped some of those memories upside down I was still captivated by the book. Though her style was a little bit disjointed, the storytelling overall was well done. She paints a very rough picture of the Karolyis, who coach their American gymnast as though they were career athletes of communist Russia. These tellings make me want to rewatch the 1996 Olympics and see...more
Wow! What a great, informative read! You will never look at the gymnastics world the same again! Definitely not the was it is showed on TV that's for sure. Dominique is another example of someone who appears to have it all but has struggles just like everyone else. My heart went out to her during those gymnastics year and what she encountered. But I think her real character shows through in the later years in how she overcame, bettered herself, stood up for herself, and was able to move on to he...more
A *3.5* I am a big fan of gymnastics. I am in awe of these talented gymnasts.Dominique Moceanu was one of the "magnificent seven" she was on the team that won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics.in Atlanta. she was honest about her years training as a gymnast. at ten going to live to work with the Karolyis working grueling hours with Marta and Bela. they were far from the loving coaches that they displayed in front of the cameras. both could be cruel and work Dominique with injuries rarely givin...more
Wow. I had no idea how toxic the husband and wife gymnastics coaching team, the Korolyis, are. They should go back to Romania. Seriously. We have enough idiots of our own in this country. Don’t need them too. Brava to Dominique for doing as well as she has in life—with her gymnastics medal in ’96 in Atlanta, which I still remember her and the rest of that great team, winning, and her new life as a college graduate, wife, and mom to two very lucky children. Dominique dealt with a lot of emotional...more
This was one of the better "celebrity" memoirs I've read (though I'd argue Moceanu's less a celebrity and just a well-known athlete, at least among people in my generation). Aside from dishing out a lot of personal stuff, Moceanu gives an inside look at the politics of USA Gymnastics. I'd had an idea about some of them, but she goes at it full force in the last couple of chapters, discussing how it's terrible that the entire sport rests upon the decisions of the Karolyis. Gymnastics is the only...more
1 like · like · see review
Watching the Fab Five in the London Olympics made me nostalgic for the Magnificent Seven of 1996. It's interesting that Dominique Moceanu didn't write her memoir right on the tail of her Olympic gold medal. I'm glad she didn't because a lot has happened to her since then.
I haven't ever really put that much thought into what happens to the gymnasts once the Olympics close and the cameras turn off. I watch the World Championships and other meets that are televised, but the only information I know...more
I haven't ever really put that much thought into what happens to the gymnasts once the Olympics close and the cameras turn off. I watch the World Championships and other meets that are televised, but the only information I know...more
I picked up Off Balance, the memoir of the youngest member of the gold-medal winning 1996 USA gymnastics team on a whim, but found it to be a great read. Moceanu's life story is fascinating, and her love of gymnastics rings true throughout the book. It's that love that makes the story so poignant, as you see how a young girl with few advocates was essentially physically and psychologically abused into becoming a great gymnast, and how her same abuses, Marta and Bela Karolyi, not only got away wi...more
Very honest, interesting account of Dominique's competitive career. I follow gymnastics closely - even traveling cross-country for meets on a regular basis - so I knew of most of the harrowing details of elite gymnastics and even some of the specific training stories she mentions here before picking up the book. Dominique does a great job of presenting her story without asking for sympathy or pity. She lays it all out there, argues for improvements in the selection and camp procedures with USA G...more
I've always been a fan of gymnastics, and watched the 1996 Olympics in awe as an 11 year old when Team USA won gold. So now, as I have read news accounts and this autobiography detailing how harsh the gymnastics world can be for the girls competing I do feel some sadness regarding those memories. Though parts of Moceanu's story are heartbreaking and hard to read, her overall triumph and positive attitude towards the future are inspiring.
Some reviews harp on how unbelievable this story must be,...more
Some reviews harp on how unbelievable this story must be,...more
I happened to see that Dominique Moceanu had written a memoir, so I thought it would be something a little different to read. It starts with her discovery when she is in her 20s that she has a sister who was born without legs that was given up for adoption right after she was born. The book alternates between Dominique developing a relationship with her long lost sister and stories of her gymnastics career. She tells of her abusive father who pushed too hard, the emotional abuse inflicted on her...more
Wow! That's really all I can say after reading this book. As a 12 year old gymnast in 1996 I was mesmerized by the "Magnificent Seven." I still remember almost every second of those Olympics. Although, according to this book, things weren't quite what they seemed. I know there are two sides to every story but I tend to believe a lot of what Dominique describes. It's disheartening that this stuff still goes on but I'm glad most girls these days aren't coached by the Karolyis and seem to have coac...more
I have always been a women's gymnastics fan and knew the way girls were chosen for the Olympic teams were often rumored to be unfair and even cruel, but I had no idea the depths of verbal and physical abuse the girls were put through by Bella Karolyi and his wife. It is a shame that a sport so many young girls enjoy and strive for success in is so corrupt at the top. No sport should be nationally controlled by one married couple. It is sad to say, but maybe once the Karolyi's get to old to be in...more
I usually don't read peoples life stories (Biographies) cause I could simply careless about what people done in there lives. But I always loved watching gymnastics. So to find that one of my favorite gymnast had a book out, I just could not resist. I remember seeing her in Olympics and could not believe this tiny little thing could flip the way she did. She looked all of five years old.. she was so tiny and so entertaining. You could not help yourself to fall in love with her talent.
I really be...more
I really be...more
This book has gotten some negative press recently due to the fact that Ms. Moceanu “bad mouthed” her former coaches. This is not what the book is primarily about. It is her memoir. It shows you a window into her life through her eyes. She discovered a sister she never had, and while this seems to be the primary focus she does give you a glimpse into her world. Her trials and tribulations and she appears to be very honest, although she really only touches on it briefly about how illy she might ha...more
I was a fan of Dominique Moceanu when she was a little Romanian pixie flipping through the air at the 1996 Olympic games--who wasn't? When her family fell apart a few years later and tabloids were presenting Dominique as a spoiled princess who was being manipulated by an unethical coach, I wondered what the truth was. In Off Balance, Dominique finally gets to tell her side of the story.
And her side of the story is every bit as juicy and gossipy as the media reports all those years ago. It's the...more
And her side of the story is every bit as juicy and gossipy as the media reports all those years ago. It's the...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“I hope that by sharing my story, I inspire others to stand for what they believe in and know that their voice matters, even if change doesn't occur overnight.”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
Sep 29, 2012 06:09am