Off Balance A Memoir

A New York Timesbestseller, this deeply honest, thought-provoking memoir from Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu reveals the often-dark underbelly of gymnastics as only an insider can and uncovers the shocking secret that nearly tore her family apart. At fourteen years old, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 US Women's Olympic Gymnastics team (known as "The Magnificent Seven"), the first ever American women's team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixyish appearance and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her life was a series of challenges and hardships. Off Balancevividly delineates each of the dominating characters who contribute to Moceanu's rise to the top: her stubborn father, her long-suffering mother, and her acclaimed yet domineering coaches, Marta and Bela Karolyi. Moceanu also shares haunting stories of competition, her years of hiding injuries and pain out of fear of retribution from her coaches, and how she climbed back to the top with dignity after hitting rock bottom following a public court battle with her father. But medals, murder plots, drugs, and daring escapes aside (all of which figure into Moceanu's incredible journey), the most unique aspect of her life is the family secret that she discovers, opening a new and unexpected chapter in her adult life. A mysterious letter from a stranger reveals that she has a second sisterborn with a physical disability and given away at birthwho has nonetheless followed in Moceanu's footsteps in an astonishing way. A multilayered memoir that transcends the world of sports, Off Balancewill touch anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life.

Dominique Moceanu is the youngest American gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal, and the youngest to win a Senior National All-Around Title. She lives near Cleveland, Ohio. Visit Dominique-Moceanu.com.