美国国家公共电台 NPR UCLA Coach Helps Star Gymnast Find Her Way Back To A Sport She Loves

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

All right, you may have seen it by now. There's this viral video of a 21-year-old UCLA gymnast earning a perfect 10 while performing this crazy difficult floor routine.

(SOUNDBITE OF TINA TURNER SONG, "PROUD MARY")

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

She does flips¹ that just seem impossible. She sticks every landing. She dances effortlessly and bounces across the floor.

GREENE: Her name is Katelyn Ohashi, and effortless is really the word. She's out there and just looks joyful², like she's having fun.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE JACKSON 5'S "I WANT YOU BACK")

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).

VALORIE KONDOS FIELD: Honestly, when you see her, it's like - the happiness that you get when you see a puppy, that's Katelyn Ohashi.

GREENE: Valorie Kondos Field or Coach Val, as she is called, is the head coach of the UCLA gymnastics team.

KONDOS FIELD: She just exudes³ goodness and love and joy.

INSKEEP: Katelyn Ohashi has devoted⁴ her life to gymnastics. Before joining UCLA, she was a teenaged Olympic hopeful who seemed destined⁵ to earn a spot on Team USA.

(SOUNDBITE OF 2012 KELLOGG'S PACIFIC RIM⁶ CHAMPIONSHIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR⁷ #1: This is unbelievable.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR #2: Watch this - full.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR #1: Beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR #2: And just tremendous exercise from Katelyn.

GREENE: But the elite⁸ level came at a price - not just the injuries but the body-shaming, the cut-throat competition that left her questioning her self-worth. Katelyn wanted out.

INSKEEP: And she introduced herself to Coach Val, said she was looking for a new start - this time at the college-level.

KONDOS FIELD: And I remember asking her - Katelyn, when was the last time that you just loved gymnastics? And she had just won the American Cup, so she was the greatest gymnast in the world. And she said, I lost my love for the sport when I was 11. She was miserable⁹.

INSKEEP: Coach Val tried to help her find a different way.

KONDOS FIELD: I realized that I had to earn her trust that I cared about her more as a human being than as an athlete and I cared about her in spite of her gymnastics.

INSKEEP: It shows in that video. During her entire floor routine performance, Katelyn Ohashi is smiling.

GREENE: And this is all especially meaningful for Coach Val because, after nearly 30 years as head coach for UCLA Gymnastics, this will be her final season - and what a way to go out.

KONDOS FIELD: And so many people have said that as well, that Katelyn Ohashi is really what we need right now.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).

1 flips   

轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• Larry flips on the TV while he is on vacation in Budapest. 赖瑞在布达佩斯渡假时，打开电视收看节目。
• He flips through a book before making a decision. 他在决定买下一本书前总要先草草翻阅一下。

2 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

3 exudes   

v.缓慢流出，渗出，分泌出( exude的第三人称单数 )；流露出对（某物）的神态或感情

参考例句：

• The plant exudes a sticky fluid. 这种植物分泌出一种黏液。
• She exudes sexual magnetism. 她洋溢着女性的魅力。

4 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

6 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

7 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。