Falling in love again 

By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer 
7/2/00

`I love the sport. I still love being out here doing gymnastics ... I still continue to learn and challenge myself every day in the gym.' 
STEPHEN HOLMAN / Tulsa World 

During an extended break, Edmond's gold medal-winning Shannon Miller found she still enjoyed gymnastics

Seven years ago, Shannon Miller was ready to quit gymnastics.

 Today, she is fighting for a chance to represent the United States in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

 Miller stole the hearts of millions of viewers when she won five medals at the '92 Games in Barcelona, Spain. The shy 15-year-old from Edmond finished second in the all-around, the highest finish by an American gymnast in a non-boycotted Olympics.

 For the next two years, Miller dominated her sport. She became the first American ever to win back-to-back World Championship titles (1993-94). A nagging back injury threatened to end her career prior to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but the veteran 19-year-old persevered to lead the USA team to the gold medal.

 With the win, Miller solidified her place in history as America's most decorated female gymnast. Millions of little girls dreamed of becoming the next Shannon Miller.

 Things seemingly couldn't have been better. A two-year tour with the other members of the Magnificent Seven followed their success in Atlanta. But Miller ached to try new things.

 She took a 1-1/2 year break from the sport. She tried scuba diving, ice skating and skydiving. Last year, she married Dr. Chris Phillips, a fellow student at the University of Oklahoma.

 "I knew if I was going to continue doing gymnastics at that level, I was going to get burned out," she recalled. "I didn't want to leave the sport not liking it. I decided to take a break, try some other things. I didn't want to be the type of person who stayed in the sport because I thought I couldn't do anything else. I wanted to see what else I could do."

 What she discovered in the process was how much she enjoyed gymnastics.

 Still, Miller wasn't sure if she wanted the grind of Olympic training.

 "When I first started back, it was late December," she said. "I was just trying to get in shape to perform on tour. I thought it would be fun and that I would only have to train a couple of days a week. Not even two weeks went by and I was at the gym and saw the girls doing the new routines for the new codes. I thought I have to try this."

 The new routines -- a standard after each Olympic year -- piqued her interest. She knew there was no turning back. Miller cited several reasons for her return to competition.

 "The main one, I think for me, is that I love the sport," she said. "I still love being out here doing gymnastics. I love the fact that I can still do a giant swing at 23. I still continue to learn and challenge myself every day in the gym."

 The change in codes also enticed her.

 "I hadn't done any of these skills before. I had never even thought of most of them. It's important for me to challenge myself. That's what I really enjoy," she said.

 Convincing everyone else, she admitted, was a different matter.

 Her coach, Steve Nunno, welcomed her back instantly. Her husband didn't know what to think.

 "I wasn't dating him during the '96 Olympics and I don't think he knew what to expect," Miller recalled. "My mom didn't say anything at first, but later she told me she thought I was crazy."

 As Miller's training accelerates, she must do it without the support of Chris, who is preparing to move to Houston to begin work on his residency. The groundwork on new routines in the balance beam, uneven bars, vault and floor exercise has been laid.

 Now, she is honing her craft in preparation of her first big competition in three years. She is one of five members of the '96 squad hoping to make the 2000 team, a quest which begins this week at the U.S. Classic at ORU Mabee Center.

 Although accustomed to the training grind and competition, Miller admits this time will be different.

 "This sport is so mental," she said. "I have always visualized my routines. I knew in my mind if I could visualize it, I could do it physically. It was just a matter of getting my body to do what I needed for the routine."

 Miller has learned there are limitations.

 "Your body can only do so many skills," she said. "Being able to visualize my routine is important to me because I'm 23 and I've been in the sport for 17 years. My body has taken that pounding for 17 years. I need to be visualizing more."

 Labeled a perfectionist, Miller admitted that hasn't always been a good thing.

 "In a lot of ways it's good because I really push myself," she said. "But in other ways it's bad. I remember for so much of my career if I wasn't perfect, I would just cry. Steve finally realized that's why I was crying. I wasn't crying because I was hurt or because I didn't want to do it. I would cry if I missed. I finally realized that I wouldn't be perfect 100 percent of the time, but I could try 100 percent of the time."

 Winning a team gold medal was the epitome for Miller and teammates.

 "It was amazing," she said. "It was everything you could ask for and more. I don't know of a whole lot of things that can top that. I enjoyed the '92 Olympics and had great memories from Barcelona, but there was something about winning the (team) gold in your own country. I don't think it actually sunk in until two weeks later."

 Looking back, Miller still gets chills from the experience.

 "Every time I see my beam routine," she said, "it's like I don't want to fall off. I didn't, but I think that every time. It all happens so fast during the competition that you don't think about anything."

 Her goal in 2000 remains the same as those in '92 and '96 -- help the USA team win a medal.

 "First, I have to make the team," she stated. "My long-term goal is to help the team win a medal. I won't think about individual goals until after the team competition. It's team, team, team."

 Ironically, Miller has never watched the Olympics.

 "Growing up, I was never the kid who could sit still and watch gymnastics," she said.

 She's banking on that this summer.

Lynn Jacobsen, World sports writer, can be reached at 581-8461 or via e-mail at lynn.jacobsen@tulsaworld.com.