Narratively

Narratively

Share this post

Narratively
Narratively
Going for the Gold with Dominique Moceanu
Memoir

Going for the Gold with Dominique Moceanu

As a preteen, I couldn’t have been more obsessed with America’s pint-sized gymnast dream girl—which made for some awkward confessions when grown-up me ended up working with the former champ.

Alicia Thompson
Mar 23, 2015
∙ Paid

Share this post

Narratively
Narratively
Going for the Gold with Dominique Moceanu
Share
Illustrations by Leonardo Santana

When my mother bought me my childhood idol’s high school yearbook as a Christmas present, it never occurred to me that I’d ever have to explain myself.

Sure, I thought, this is a little creepy.

I also thought, Small private schools have much thinner yearbooks than large public schools.

And I thought, Other people’s yearbooks are actually kind of boring.

But I never thought, One day I will work with Dominique Moceanu, Olympic gymnast, and confess to her that I own her high school yearbook.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Narratively to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Narratively, Inc.
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share