Christy Henrich
Christy Henrich 
was a member of the US Gymnastic Team. She was born July 18, 1972. She trained at the Great American Gymnastic Express Club in Blue Springs, MO. In 1986, she mad ethe US National Gymnastics team. She finished ninth at the 1988 Olympic Trials and in 1989 placed second (silver medal) in the all-round competition at the 1989 US National Championships. She used a leap in her balance beam routine that was eventually named for her.
Unfortunately, Christy was told in 1989 by a judge that she needed to lose weight. Instead of eating healthy and taking appropriate nutritional supplements, Christy developed an eating disorder. In a sport that is based on small size, Christy’s frame was a bit larger than some. Her disorder finally created such a problem, that she was asked to leave the gym.
Her weight dropped and her family finally managed to get her to enter a hospital for treatment. She would recover, but eventually slip back into the dangerous pattern. Christy died on July 26, 1994 at the age of 22 from multiple organ failure. She was 4′11″ tall and weighed only 47 pounds.
Since Christy’s death, many other gymnast have stepped forward and admitted their own battles with eating disorders. However, many still contend that the sport is still obsessed with the pencil thin gymnastic body image.
i dont think the gymnastics culture really exists at all in the US as something enjoyable and healthy like it has in Europe for hundreds of years. Wasn’t it just a case of the Russians are ahead and we have to push push push till we catch up. If a girl wants to have a healthy life would
May 7th, 2008 at 3:30 amshe not be better taking up yoga or volleyball. It may be very difficult to find more dishonest people than the coachesand parents of gymnasts. The culture doesnt exist and are we not dishonest to pretend it does. Everytime i venture
close to the gymnastic world the dishonesty is very apparent
as evidenced by extreme privacy, and speeded up bound
together reflexes which never flow just movement forcing movement dreams that are never triggered .Gymnastics leaves girls with lives of bitterness and anger and a feeling of never being what they thought they could be