What do yoga, obstacle courses, and the Rockettes have in common? They are each similar to exercise styles that were the precursor to modern competitive gymnastics.
You probably have all the details you need to know about the history of Simone Biles, the GOAT of women’s gymnastics. You’ve seen her parents, heard about what she did at age seven, know her family history, medical history, and her husband’s shoe size. You know how she got here. But how did gymnastics get here into the Olympics? It may surprise you to know that gymnastics emerged from multiple paths, all of which had cultural and philosophical movements attached to them.
Continue reading “Turners, Sokols, and the Swedish Cure: Gymnastics History & the Games”