If you watched the NBC coverage of the women's vault competition on Sunday, you may have seen the silver-medal winning performance by Oksana Chusovitina of Germany, who previously competed for her native Uzbekistan.The story is compelling for two reasons. The first is that Oksana is 33-years old. The average gymnast retires at age 18 unless they get to compete for a college or national team. It is often remarkable to see gymnasts competing well into their 20s. It is simply astonishing that Chusovitina is competing at this age.
The second aspect is the more touching one. Alisher, her son, was in dire need of medical attention as he was diagnosed with leukemia.
In 2002, she moved from Uzbekistan to Germany for this reason. She agreed to compete for the German national team.
She told a Newark, NJ, newspaper that she simply had no choice:
"If I don't compete, then my son won't live."
Even though Alisher's cancer is now in remission, Oksana is still competing.
Alicia Sacramone, the American gymnast who narrowly missed getting a bronze in the vault told "The Star-Ledger" that as a gymnast, she is truly amazed by what Oksana accomplishes:
"I don't know how she does it," Sacramone told the 'Ledger,' "I'm 20 and my back hurts, my knees hurt. I think I have arthritis. She's a role model for so many of us."
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