Nastia Liukin Instagram – From the first handstand ever held, to the one on the edge of a NYC skyscraper 🙃 From injuries that demanded patience to comebacks that taught resilience.
The little girl who dared to believe that a dream – no matter how impossible so many tried to make her believe – was worth chasing. The one who cartwheeled in hallways and pretended every single curb was a balance beam, Happy National Gymnastics Day 🤍
Often people see gymnastics as the pursuit of perfection – because who didn’t daydream about becoming the next Nadia Comaneci? But the longer I’ve been away from competing, the more I’ve realized – for me, it was never really about perfection. It was about learning how to fall (literally and figuratively) and, more importantly, how to rise with more courage each time. It what shapes you into someone stronger than you could’ve imagined – ultimately, not the “perfect” you, but the best you.
So today, on National Gymnastics Day, I’m sending love to every gymnast whose dreams are at times held together by tape, chalk and a little extra stubbornness. To every coach who believes in someone before she learns to believe in herself. To every parent enduring seven-hour meets, surviving on concession-stand pretzels.
And especially to the little girl in the last photo – tiny, determined, already all-in.
She had no idea what she was signing up for. But she never looked back. To the sport that raised me, tested me, and gave me everything: I’ll always owe you more than words.
xx NL | Posted on 21/Sep/2025 08:25:01
