CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

Here are some photos from Cleveland Sports Awards!



Me, with the Cav Girls!

With Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN's College Game Day


With Swimmer Diana Munz & Figure Skater Tonia Kwiatkowski

FALL PHOTO ALBUM

A lot of photos have been taken in the past few months.....Halloween & World Championship photos are included in this new photo gallery!



HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE DR. PHIL SHOW?

What a unique opportunity I had to go on the Dr. Phil Show and hopefully have a positive impact on Rhonda's family, and others who might have been watching. I'm interested to know what you thought of the show. Please share your comments below.

DR. PHIL PHOTOS

I taped an episode of Dr. Phil last month. Here's a couple photos. Be sure to watch on Nov 4th. Check your local listings!

Me & Dr. Phil


Me & Jessica (one of the staffers who was great!)

SUMMER 2009

Spring/Summer 2009 has been a blast! I've got tons of photos to share! Check out my new scrapbook.


HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

MY SPRING SCRAPBOOK!

So much has happened over the last couple months! Here's my spring scrapbook for you to enjoy!

Love, Dominique
p.s. did you hear I joined Twitter? I've been having a blast with it! ...and have been updating frequently!



Download Photo Album Here


HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

PHOTO ALBUM UPDATE

I hope this update finds you all doing well! I put together another PowerPoint photo album for you to enjoy.

Love, Dominique

Download Photo Album Here

HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

THANK YOU!

A big "thank you" to all our friends, fans, and family for voting for Carmen in the "Cleveland's Cutest Baby" contest. Although she didn't win this year, we are still very grateful for all of your votes & support!

Dominique & Mike

FALL 2008

So much has happened in the last few months! Click here to download my PowerPoint update with news and recent photos...

HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

MY THOUGHTS AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM THE 2008 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

The 2008 Summer Games marked the first Olympics I've watched on TV since the 1992 Barcelona Games. I enjoyed every second of the Beijing Olympics! I was worried about "staying home" for The Games, but like never before I was engrossed in ALL THINGS Olympics. Between the internet broadcasts, television coverage, message boards, and editorials, I was submerged in the Beijing Olympic experience!

I'm recovering from the "Olympic Hangover" of staying up late for 17 days, but what I lost in sleep, I gained in the thrill of the XXIX Olympiad. As I return to my daily routine, I've gathered my thoughts and memorable moments. It helps me get over my post-Beijing let down. Quite simply, I categorized my thoughts into two categories "Things I loved" and "Not so much". I've got them listed in no particular order. The Olympic Gymnastics Competition was all it was cracked up to be. Enjoy the lists!

Our "At Home Olympic Experience" started with a visit from Paul Hamm, Morgan Hamm, and Morgan's fiancée, Megan. Morgan just returned from Beijing the night before (8.8.08) after an emotional and untimely departure from China. More on that: http://www.intlgymnast.com/olympics/ziert/535.html

Morgan and Paul's competitive careers came to a close in a manner that none of us could've predicted 3 months ago. Nevertheless, we were so pleased to have them spend this time at our home.

I have to admit, at first it was odd watching the Beijing Olympics with the Hamms in Ohio. I knew that a healthy Paul and Morgan could've contributed significantly in China; however, once the competition began I could see the genuine happiness they felt for their teammates, and Raj Bhavsar's success helped all of us see "the greater good" in Paul and Morgan's injuries! It was a positive thing, and it's good to see Paul and Morgan's enthusiasm about life after competitive gymnastics. While not directly, no one can dispute that the Hamm's pushed the U.S. Men's Team to new heights in Beijing!

Here are some photos from our "At Home Experience".....Enjoy!

HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

THINGS I LOVED!

• What about Two-Time Gold Medalist Gervasio Deffer!! The controversial Spaniard never lacked in the talent department, and it was particularly sweet to see him finally earn an Olympic Medal on his best event, Floor Exercise.
  
  
• Romania's Bronze medal in the Women's Team Competition and Sandra Isbaza's Gold Medal on Floor reminded critics that Romania's deep tradition in gymnastics is far from dead! I'm impressed with what their program has done with limited resources and huge management changes.
  
  
• NBCOlympics.com's high quality streaming of podium training!
  
  
• While Cheng Fei's performances and efforts as an emotional leader for the Chinese Women left little in the tank for individual glory, she was instrumental in the Chinese Team effort. A TRUE team player, Cheng Fei's Bronze on beam held a very special meaning. I was so happy to see a female gymnast pumping her fists while giving triumphant hollers. Cheng Fei was a thrill to watch. She displayed great sportsmanship when encouraging Alicia Sacramone following the Team Final. You have to see the photos and footage to really understand what I'm talking about. Loved it! That last tidbit brings me to the vast display of sportsmanship I saw as I watched from home.
  
  
• Amid the poor sportsmanship displayed by the media (which I might add we were bombarded with in the U.S). The gymnasts displayed countless acts of sportsmanship that deserve mention and attention.
  
  
• Shawn Johnson was often the first athlete to congratulate her competitors, and I'll never forget how Shawn joined Nastia Liukin for a curtain call during the All-Around Finals. Shawn Johnson demonstrated the Olympic Spirit throughout the Games; therefore, her balance beam GOLD was just a fitting conclusion to the Women's competition.
  
  
• Nastia Liukin's composure DURING AND AFTER the Uneven Bar Final. While she could've justifiably blamed the judging for the quirky bar results, she simply admitted that she had not performed her best routine. Class Act! She has been on the losing end of two major tie-breaking procedures, and Liukin continues to be a gracious champion! Love her!
  
  
• Alicia Sacramone erroneously blamed herself for missing out on the Team Gold Medal. While most of us know Alicia's errors DID NOT CAUSE the team to lose the Gold. She was a good sport by not feeding into the blame placed on the delays caused by cameramen and television.
  
  
• Perhaps the most endearing moment of the Olympic Gymnastics Competition was when He Kexin embraced and lifted teammate Yang Yilin during the Uneven Bar final. While I may never know what He was thinking, I can't help but guess that He believed her teammate had won the gold, and she was sharing in her teammate's success. If those were indeed He Kexin's thoughts, I agree wholeheartedly with her.
  
  
• All appeared right in the Gymnastics Universe when Oksana Chusovitina earned her silver medal on Vaulting at the tender age of 33. SHE'S THE WORLD'S SUPERHERO MOM!
  
  
• U.S. Women's Team WINNING, yes WINNING, the silver medal in the Team competition. They endured an exhausting and at times punishing Olympic Team Selection process, not to mention they experienced severe setbacks in the days leading up to the Olympics.
  
  Just think about it, injuries to Shayla Worley, Mattie Larson, Chellsie Memmel, and Samantha Peszek demonstrated how the DEEPEST TEAM in the WORLD was WHITTLED DOWN TO A TEAM THAT WON THE SILVER MEDAL AGAINST ODDS! Again, just think for a moment. If just one more untimely injury plagued the U.S. Women, an Olympic medal could've been completely out of the picture. These young ladies earned a Silver Medal against odds in a similar fashion that the Men's Team earned a bronze medal. The principle difference was the media perception of each medal. In the men's case it was a victory, and in the women's case it was viewed as a defeat based on the 2007 World Championships. The individual athletes and coaches made America proud on both the Men's and Women's sides!
  

• Jonathan Horton winning a silver medal on high bar. His individual medal was payment for his tremendous efforts during the Team competition. Without question, he was the leader of the U.S. Men's Team. His High Bar routine from the Event Final is arguably the most dynamic and difficult routine the gymnastics world has ever seen!

• Yang Wei tore through six events to be victorious in China! He and Raj Bhavsar reminded us that great things are worth the wait!
  

• The U.S. Men's bronze medal Team Final. The team alternates were called upon and did their jobs to help the U.S. win their "Good as Gold" Bronze Medal. Horton was solid, and the high bar squad appeared to be the best in the world (regardless of scores). Raj Bhavsar told us that he "has been paid back double" for all that he endured over the last 4 years!

• Chinese Gymnastics Domination: We could go on and on about how prepared the Men's and Women's Artistic Teams were, but the Chinese dominated Artistic Gymnastics all the while earning individual Gold Medals in Trampoline and a Team Silver in Rhythmic Gymnastics. Impressive isn't enough to describe Chinese Gymnastics program! They succeeded in all disciplines and categories of gymnastics greatness.

• Individual Gold/Silver coming in and Individual Gold/Silver going out! Story book ending for the Team USA's superstars. I love it! The hard work and attention to detail Nastia Liukin/Valeri Liukin and Shawn Johnson/Chow Liang put in over the last several years came through in China. When you look at the whole picture, the one-two punch of Liukin and Johnson was simply too awesome for the rest of the world to handle. Both artistry and pure athleticism were rewarded in Beijing, and the results prove it.

NOT SO MUCH

• Since ditching compulsory routines after the 1996 Olympics, gymnastics has picked up a new compulsory exercise…CONTROVERSY. The vaulting table was the right height this time, nobody was taking Sudafed, Paul Hamm wasn't in the meet, and Chen Yibing was the decisive Olympic Champion on still rings, so we had to find something else to latch on to.

• I guess it's a sign of the times, but it saddens me to know that this year's age controversy quagmire has taken away (more so than in the past) from the stunning performances of ALL OF THE GYMNASTS, NOT JUST THE CHINESE WOMEN! I often wonder how the Chinese Women's team have/has/had wrestled with the negative attention of the age controversy. As a teen, I recall the pressures that came along with an Olympics at home, and I couldn't image having to compete with scrutiny hanging over my head
  

• The 2008 Olympics marked a time in our sport where we've approached the plateau of physical capabilities. When gymnastics' living legends like Jordan Jovtchev, Marian Dragulescu, Cheng Fei, Hiroyuki Tomita, and Diego Hypolito look as if they can't they've MAXED OUT, IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE RULES DRASTICALLY!
  

• Olympic order used to mean something! Vaulting, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and Floor Exercise. I didn't like the order used at the Olympic Women's Event Finals. Having both women's leg events was not only tiring, but the audience loves seeing Women's Floor Exercise as the final event of the women's competition. Can you imagine the 2008 Olympic Women's Floor final followed by the 2008 Olympic Men's High bar final? That could've been an even more spectacular night for the sport of gymnastics!

• Bela Karolyi was "The Grinch" of my 2008 Olympic experience. Has anyone noticed how Bela manages to make historic gymnastics moments his own? His antics of exaggerated patriotism, righteousness, and empathy sandwiched between roars, howls, and imaginary adjectives were just too much! I found myself muting his commentary by the time the Women's All-Around Final had arrived. His comments added a negative and suspicious dimension to the competition, really nothing of utility for the gymnastics fan.

• I trained with Bela for several years, and my family and I spent many holidays with Bela and Martha Karolyi. I can separate the real behavior from the phony performance. In 2008, I had an overdose of the Karolyi phoniness. I was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge of the sport. I felt like I was watching a crazed-aged man talk senselessly about a sport he knew little about. Come to think of it, I see why I felt that way. (I guess I shouldn't be surprised why the questions I submitted were never read during Ring the Bela!)
  

Once again, the BIGGEST competition in gymnastics was filled with lots of drama and great moments. The only certainty is that one can never predict what will unfold! As I let the moments of Beijing digest, I look ahead to what's to come in the next 4 year cycle.

Dominique

CONGRATS TEAM USA!

I'm so proud of the USA Men & Women for their success in Beijing!

They should both be very proud to have represented their country and stand on the medal podium as first time Olympians that will come home with silver and bronze medals! No one can take those efforts away from them and to come home with any medals AT ALL is a SUCCESS! Let's not forget that, Karolyi's.

Although some uncharacteristic mistakes were made on the women's side, I still remain supportive of their efforts especially after the grueling Olympic selection process that they went through, they DESERVED this medal. They should be proud of being the second best country in the world. After all, how many people can say that they're the second best at anything in the world?!?!

p.s. It's a real treat to re-read the interview with Raj Bhavsar before he was named to the 2008 Olympic Team. It makes his Olympic Team medal that much sweeter! Congrats to Raj for never giving up! We've supported you all along!

Congratulations TEAM USA...AMERICA IS PROUD OF YOU!

2016: CHICAGO BELIEVES!

I recently attended a special event in Chicago at Millenium Park to celebrate the city's bid to host the 2016 Olympic games. Here are some of my photos!

Good luck to my new friend, Anjali J. Forber-Pratt! She is a paralympic Track and Field athlete representing the United States in Beijing!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

I'm interested to know what you think about my recent comments. There's a poll at International Gymnast Online. (The poll is on the left hand side of the page)

A RECENT INTERVIEW

Please take a moment to read this interview that I did with About.com. I truly feel it best represents my thoughts regarding the controversial Olympic selection process and the direction that USA Gymnastics has taken since 2000.

On a related note, I would like to thank those individuals who have shown support for my recent statements and an improved system.

AMERICAN GLADIATOR, SIREN COMES TO THE GYM!

American Gladiator, Siren (a.k.a. "Green Goddess") came to visit my local gym, Gymnastics World, for a motivational speech!

Valerie Waguaman went to high school with my husband, Michael. Val was raised in Cleveland, and her sister attends Gymnastics World. Val was a former track and field athlete and volleyball player at Brecksville High School. She has since joined the eclectic cast of NBC's primetime hit, American Gladiators.

I've always been a fan of American Gladiators, so it was a special treat for me to meet Val!

Dominique


For more information on Val, you can check out http://www.octanecafe.com and http://www.valspace.com/blog

NOTE FROM DOMINIQUE CONCERNING HOUSTON CHRONICLE ARTICLE

I’m excited for Tuesday night's broadcast of my interview for Real Sports on HBO. It will be interesting to see which parts of our discussion they use. I did, however, want to draw attention to a quote of mine from the HBO interview that was taken out of context by the Houston Chronicle this morning.

The article, which talks about tomorrow's HBO interview, reports that Mike and I wouldn’t put our daughter, Carmen, in the sport of gymnastics. This actually was taken out of context and is in fact the opposite of the truth!

As most of you know, despite my concerns about the way our sport is managed, I’m passionate about gymnastics and love the sport with all my heart. I have always said that I’d put Carmen in gymnastics -- and we still absolutely plan to. I am an advocate of change, however, with the highest level of management in my sport and I stand by that.

2008 OLYMPIC TEAM

CONGRATULATIONS to all the young women who survived this long and taxing Olympic team selection process. 

I really wish that Shayla Worley's 2008 Olympic run had a different ending.

Good Luck TEAM USA!!

• SHAWN JOHNSON
• NASTIA LIUKIN
• ALICIA SACRAMONE
• CHELLSIE MEMMEL
• SAMANTHA PESZEK
• BRIDGET SLOAN
• JANA BIEGER (ALTERNATE)
  
• IVANA HONG (ALTERNATE)
  
• CORRIE LOTHROP (ALTERNATE)
  

WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to the new website! I hope you enjoy our many new features and updated content. You'll notice that my old blog has expanded somewhat with the redesign of the website. Be sure to use the links at the top left hand corner of this page to view the 4 blogs we've incorporated into this very page. We now have:

• From Dominique
• Chalk Talk
• Carmen's Corner
• Video Blog

One also feature which I hope you all like is the ability to add "comments" after any of my blog entries. Just click the "comments" link at the bottom of any post to do so. For starters, I think it'd be great if you could let me know (by adding a comment) what you think of the new webdesign, features and content!

Thanks for visiting,

Dominique

USOC HALL OF FAME & OLYMPIC TRIALS

Without a doubt, my life has changed for the better over the last six months!

Carmen keeps me plenty busy, and we’re really building a strong mother-daughter bond! As many of you know, she has a way with timing. She was born on Christmas Day, and most recently she slept through the entire night (for the first time) on Mother’s Day, making my first Mother’s Day a “toughy” to top.

We all know that babies change everything about daily living, but one of the biggest changes I’ve noticed recently is how we travel, especially by air. Since I refuse to leave home without her, I’ve mastered techniques of packing and unpacking Carmen’s luggage for security, folding up the stroller, and keeping her calm from take off to touch down.

Nowadays, air travel can be more stressful, thanks to frequent delays, luggage requirements, increased air traffic, etc., but people’s pleasant reactions to Carmen have made traveling by air more agreeable! It’s amazing how much happiness a baby brings to complete strangers! It’s almost struggle to remember flying without her. We’re travel buddies!

It’s hard to believe, but the Beijing Summer Games are almost here!

In the spirit of the Olympics, the 1996 Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team I was a part of was honored with an induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate in Chicago on June 19th, 2008. What an exciting and memorable event!

(Please take a peak at our latest slide show of photos)

HINT: This photo album was put together in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer, you can download the PowerPoint Viewer for Windows or the PowerPoint Viewer for Macintosh to view this presentation.

The induction ceremony will air on August 3rd, 2008 at 1:30-3:00 p.m. EST on NBC. Check it out! This is the greatest honor our team has received since Atlanta! Thanks to all of you who voted for us! You allowed us to become part of a very eclectic and prestigious group!

After the induction ceremony in Chicago, Mike, Carmen and I made the trip to Philadelphia to see the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia. We enjoyed the performances much more than the actual “trials” aspect of the competition because the gravity of results from the meet itself has appeared to shrink from this once-pivotal and “final” domestic meet of the quadrennium.

Perhaps the powers that be should consider changing the name of the meet to “The Olympic Showcase” or “The Pre-Selection Camp Championships,” because it has turned into anything but a definitive Olympic Trials – where a group of athletes perform and a team is named.

Let’s face it; five spots on the Women’s Olympic Team have by all rights been secured in Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, and Samantha Peszek. These young women did everything (and more) to rightfully earn their positions on the 2008 Olympic Team, including their performances at the Trials. Unfortunately, Chellsie, Alicia, and Sam did not get the opportunity to be recognized for their efforts in front of 13,000 pumped gymnastics fans in Philadelphia. Rather they will need to prove themselves once again at a “behind-closed-doors” camp in New Waverly, Texas.

I could go on about why these young women have already more than earned their positions on the Olympic Team, and why they should have been named to the team publicly in Philadelphia at the Trials, but here are the main bullet points:

• Chellsie Memmel put on an awesome show over both days! She drilled through really tough routines, and she did it all, it should be noted, without much support from the “higher ups.” Yet she performed and carried herself with grace and style. Chellsie handled and carried herself amazingly well during the two days of competition, she looked and clearly was prepared, plus she’s got a track record for “saving the day” for Team USA! Just a few reasons why Chellsie should have been named to the team at the Trials.

• Alicia Sacramone. I get sentimental when I think about this young lady, because I remember hugging her so tightly after her bar routine debacle at the 2004 nationals. I’ll never forget how disappointed she was. She’s done EVERYTHING RIGHT since 2004 (including competing for Brown University) to earn a spot in 2008, and was terrific at Trials. She should’ve been named to the team as well.

• Sam Peszek has come through the junior ranks in our country with class and consistency, and she’s steadily improved each year. She’s tough and she’s got big meet experience. Sam played a key part in the 2007 World Championship Gold Medal effort. And I believe she’ll play an important role in 2008. She should’ve been named to the team at Trials too.

One can argue that the selection procedure belittles the recognition of becoming a U.S. Olympian. I mean, really!! Do you think these athletes would “get lazy or let up” if they were named to the team at Trials? C’mon Marta!

Not even the gobs of confetti at the conclusion of the Olympic Trials could get me pumped about this part of the selection process. For those of you not in Philadelphia, picture this: A controversial Men’s Olympic Team with three alternates alongside the ENTIRE roster of Women’s Olympic Trials competitors. It was awkward! I certainly didn’t feel a sense of Team USA.

My sense was that many in the audience were left wondering why we even have a Trials meet at all if only two of the six slots are to be named at the conclusion of the event while the remaining team members are selected behind closed doors and not in front of the public.

It should be noted that I genuinely enjoy watching the televised broadcasts of competitions I get to attend. A different set of perspectives are there for the viewing that you don’t get to see from the actual audience. I like the angles and story lines, too. But this Olympic Trials gave us all a glimpse into more realistic view of how this process is carried out. Not only was Marta Karolyi’s autonomy mentioned more than ever, but if you pay attention to Kathy Kelly during times 4:23 through 5:54 in the below clip, you’ll see firsthand the haphazard fashion in which the young ladies are chosen for the final selection camp.

For something as meaningful to our sport as the Olympic Trials, this just doesn’t sit right with me. It should be classier, and more fair to the athletes.



On both the men’s and women’s sides, the selection committees continue to defend unfairness to individuals by touting fairness to “the entire group.” They’ve been hiding behind this for years, but I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. I get the sense that 2008 is going to bring some long overdue attention to the un-American and inconsistent process employed to select our Olympic Gymnastics Teams. I hope that the attention sparks a change in the right direction. This unresolved issue comes up every Olympic Year, but in 2008, the process led by the “watchful eye of Marta Karolyi” is starting to be watched by the watchful eyes of many more.

Despite all the politics and unfairness, I absolutely love the sport of gymnastics. In fact, in some ways, I love it more now than when I was competing. But I’m unhappy with the management of our sport at the highest level. I don’t have all the answers, but more transparency in the selection process will help us retain fans and gain new ones. It’s human nature to want to know the rationale for team selection. Presently, we are all in the dark (fans, athletes, coaches, family members, officials). I’m not against selection camps, but I don’t think that camps should determine more than 1/3 of the team.

Something to think about is that the 1996 Women’s Olympic Team was selected with fewer decisions behind closed doors than in 2000 and 2004. So it’s gotten worse, but I believe it is about to get better. For the sake of our sport, it has to!

It’s come full circle to my daughter, Carmen.

People ask us all the time if Mike and I plan to start our little Carmen in gymnastics. You bet we will!! Why? Because it’s greatest sport in the world, and we want her to benefit from the life lessons it’s taught us. But we also want her to leave gymnastics happy to have participated.

All I’m saying is that we need to re-think what “the secret selection criteria” does to the perception of gymnastics.

That’s all for now!!

The website will be debuting it’s new look within the month!

I hope you are all having a good summer!!

Enjoy, as 2008 continues to unfold.
Dominique

VEGAS!

Last week I was in Las Vegas for a kick off event for SAMSUNG since they are a global sponsor for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing!

I'm happy to report that I recently signed with my former agent, Janey Miller. She is the Vice President of Olympic Sports for Octagon. She can be reached for Olympic appearances at:

Octagon
1937 Norwood Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80304
(p) 303 444 4612
(f) 303 444 4618




Olympic Gold Medalists: Laura Wilkinson (U.S.A. Diving), Jeremy Wariner (U.S.A Track & Field), Michael Johnson (U.S.A. Track and Field). Laura and Jeremy will be attempting to get more gold medals in Beijing this summer. Good Luck to them!

WIGS FOR KIDS

I can't believe I did it!! I've wanted to donate my hair to Kids for Wigs since I found out I was pregnant last year. In an effort to let my hair grow out, I didn't cut my hair once during my pregnancy, so that I could meet the 12-inch minimum requirement. I finally reached my goal and was able to donate to this amazing cause. For more information on how you can donate to a child in need of a wig, please go to http://www.wigsforkids.org They could use your help! Look below for some pictures from Smuckers Stars on Ice and my trip back to Houston.

Sincerely, Dominique

BEFORE:



AFTER:








HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS WITH FRIENDS AT SMUCKERS STARS ON ICE!

Me & Carmen with Sasha Cohen


Evan Lysacek & Me


Yuka Sato & Me

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS WITH CARMEN, SVETLANA & I!

JUMP-ROPE-A-THON

Dearest Fans and Friends,

I recently received a letter from Sophia who is a student at Mayfield High School. Sophia had a rather unique request. She invited me to join her classmates' effort to raise funds for the American Heart Association by participating in the Jump-Rope-A-Thon on Valentine's Day!

I'm eager to support the cause as both of my grandmothers have suffered from recent heart attacks. Both of them have recovered well, and I hope to bring more awareness to the heart disease epidemic facing the United States. While both my grandmas are fortunate in making a full recovery, I believe that the real reward comes in preventing heart attacks through awareness of signs and promoting cardiovascular health.

This event will help "jumpstart" my recovery from pregnancy and childbirth!

Please come join me, Sophia, and the Mayfield High School student body between 7:45-3:00pm on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2008 to make a difference and promote cardiovascular health!

Mayfield High School
6116 Wilson Mills Road
Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143

See you there!

Dominique

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Dearest Fans and Friends,

The time has finally come to wind down and enjoy the holidays. I hope that everyone is getting into the holiday spirit and remembering what this time of the year is really about: family, love, and kindness, and not just about shopping and beating the rush at the malls.

I have survived yet another full semester of college, while being pregnant this time. I was determined to finish. Although it was a challenging semester academically and physically (because of the pregnancy), I achieved my goal of making it through successfully. I finished five finals last week and it is a relief to be finished!

Mike and I can finally relax for the holidays and wait for the arrival of our firstborn and we can’t wait!


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Support our troops!

Dominique

MAG 7 REUNITE FOR NBC'S TODAY SHOW

Some photos from the NBC Today Show taping!

GET WELL SOON, MORGAN!

Over the weekend my husband, Mike, and I made a "surprise" visit to Columbus, Ohio to show support to our good friend, Morgan Hamm. He is recovering from his torn pectoralis surgery, which happened less than a week ago. Best of luck to Morgan for a speedy recovery!

You can visit his website at http://www.makingtheolympics.com/ and wish him well!

Below is a clip from our visit over the weekend!
http://www.makingtheolympics.com/videos/day1_post-op.html

--Dominique

THANK YOU FOR YOUR E-MAILS :-)

I WANTED TO SAY (ONCE AGAIN), THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR KIND EMAILS. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN EXCITING TIME FOR MIKE AND I. HERE ARE A FEW SPECIAL EMAILS THAT TOUCHED ME.

---DOMINIQUE


From Kevin:
"Dominique, How does one express how much excitement I have and had when I watched the US win in '96. I still to this day am overwhelmed by your grace and your presence. You seem to be one of the sweetest and most genuine around. I wish daily that I had a chance to promote my country of this great United States as you did, in the Olympics. I wanted to say thank you, for incredible memories. Especially from a girl who seems so down to earth and passionate about all that is good in this world. You are, I feel, the best all around gymnast the US has ever seen. Even at such a young age you showed such confidence and poise. Words can not express how impressive that is, especially on the greatest stage there is in the world, The Olympic Games. Gosh I hope you go back to competition at that level. Congrats on your baby to come! I can't believe little Dom from '96 is a momma to be! Keep that awesome down to earth attitude, it's so cool to see. I hope this finds you and helps to show you that you touched so many people with just being yourself. Thanks!"

From Julie:
Dominique~I just wanted to say that even though this is old news (I've been BUSY!), I am so sorry that you were forced by USA Gymnastics to stop competing. Your love for gymnastics is a "perfect 10", and they were so wrong not to let you compete!!!!! Also I wanted to say congrats on you pregnancy!!! I am so excited for you! I have two children of my own(both girls), and my life would not be complete without them! I know that you are going to make a wonderful mother!!!! Take care and get lots of sleep now before the baby comes!!!! ~Julie"