My gymnastics career was propagated by a zealous father who strongly believed that he could teach his three year old son a backhandspring. My father tied a belt around my waist, and told me to try and throw myself backwards. My mother told me that she watched as her ‘baby boy’ proceeded to jump back and land on his neck. My father told me to try again, but my mom said, “No! He needs a professional to help him so he doesn’t end up in a wheelchair.” And the next day, I was enrolled in a gymnastics class.