Chapter 1: "Where Are They Now?" - Early Summer, 2016
Ben Pierce was sitting in his boss' office at Sports Network Plus, legs up on the desk and a wide smirk on his face. Today was his day. Actually, most days were "his days."
"Jesus, Ben. Wipe that smile off your face. You're hosting a TV special, you didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize."
His boss, executive Richard Edwards shot his cocky employee a distasteful look. He should've known that Ben would act this way. The man was intolerable. If given an inch, he would steal a mile and not look back. After five years, he was used to Ben's behavior, but it still annoyed the hell out of him.
Ben looked very pleased with himself despite the reprimand.
"I'm telling you, Richard, this primetime special is going to generate a ton of viewership – women especially. It's opening up a whole new audience to SNP. The advertisers are going nuts."
Richard raised his eyebrow. "I didn't know so many people liked gymnastics…"
"Well, the Olympics are coming up again. Everyone is thinking about sports. Besides, it's not just the gymnastics with these girls - it's the stories." Ben sat forward excitedly, running his hands through his thick brown hair. "Everyone thought the Rock Rebels were going to bring home the gold in London. Their loss was the iconic moment of the Olympics for the American viewers. I mean, do you remember how much attention they received before the games? They were the definition of hype! They had everything - talent, story, and looks to boot. This segmentl has already sparked a ton of buzz. "
Richard had to admit it – so far Ben had delivered on all of his promises. When the young host first pitched the "Where Are They Now?" idea, he'd had serious doubts.
"How did you get the girls to agree to this?" Richard asked, leafing through some paperwork.
Ben shrugged dismissively. "Whatever their reasons, they're on board with signed contracts. There's no turning back now. The crew and I have already traveled and collected footage from their homes. That took time, but it was worth it." Ben tossed Richard a DVD. "Here, you can see for yourself. We're going to combine those clips with the reunion footage and group interviews we're shooting this week in New York."
"Is everything ready for their arrival?" Richard asked.
"Oh yes." said Ben. "The girls will be in the city tomorrow. I'm meeting them at their hotel and debriefing them over dinner. The next day they should be in the studio and we'll start interviewing them in groups and pairs. I anticipate some interesting results…"
Richard looked down at the DVD in his hand. Doubts aside, he let curiosity get the better of him. He took the disc out of its case, popped it in his office television, and pressed play.
Footage flickered rapidly across the screen: Kaylie Cruz twisting off the beam and saluting with a grin, Lauren Tanner with her hand over her chest during the national anthem, Emily Kmetko winning her bronze medal on uneven bars, and Payson Keeler completing a tumbling pass across the floor at the London games.
Hello, I'm Ben Pierce taking you inside the world of Gymnastics and beyond. The question we're exploring tonight is what happens to our favorite Olympians when the cameras turn off and training ends? For the next hour, Sports Network Plus will be reacquainting you with four household names from the 2012 Olympics: Payson Keeler, Kaylie Cruz, Lauren Tanner, and Emily Kmetko. The famous Rock Rebels from Colorado generated an enormous amount of attention during the London games as leaders on the U.S. Gymnastics Team, not only for their personality and skill, but also for their inspiring stories.
"The Olympics felt like a dream." an interviewed Emily Kmetko said to the camera. "Things like that don't usually happen to girls like me."
The shot then faded to a devastating visual of Payson Keeler breaking her back at 2009 Nationals. In slow motion, the young girl crumpled to the ground like a rag doll. The athlete's serious voice was heard in the background of the shot: "I thought it was over for me…I thought that was the end of my dream."
These girls made their way into our living rooms. But despite the high expectations, they tragically fell short, leading the U.S. Team to a disappointing second place finish in the team competition. It was one of the smallest margins in Olympic history.
The camera revealed a close-up of eighteen-year-old Kaylie Cruz with a tear streaming silently down her pretty face. Around her, teammates were looking up at the final placing with stunned expressions. The color from Lauren Tanner's face was fading.
Now, it's been almost four years since their time in the spotlight. The world is dying to know: Where are they now?
We start our journey with Kaylie Cruz, the 2009 National Champion and a crowd favorite. Kaylie knew just how to please an audience and make her gymnastics entertaining. The world saw her go through several ups and downs during her career, but throughout the years she maintained her reputation as a strong competitor. She was an all around contender at the Olympics, but she just missed the podium in every event. Her iconic, tearful reaction to the team loss would make the cover of Time magazine just days after the games. Still, it seems that in Kaylie's case, time can heal any wound…
Present day Kaylie Cruz and Austin Tucker appeared on screen, arm in arm in a Texas gym. Poised and petite, Kaylie was radiating contentment. The camera followed her as she walked through her gym and instructed young girls on the beam and uneven bars. Then, the lens closed in and captured a humorous, light-hearted moment between her and a young gymnast.
"I fell in love with coaching….and with Austin." Kaylie told Ben Pierce as he interviewed her in her new workplace. The camera focused in on her glistening engagement ring as she spoke. "I couldn't ask for more. I didn't get the gold medal, but I got the guy."
"And how is coaching?"
Kaylie chuckled. "It's funny – I used to joke about dropping gymnastics all together after London, but I think life had a different plan for me. Soon Austin and I will be married and working together everyday. I can't wait to build up this gym with him and make it great. It already feels like home."
"So you would consider yourself happy?" Ben asked her, leaning forward and smiling.
Kaylie's eyes glistened and her mouth upturned sweetly. "Very."
Her image faded and was replaced by candid footage of Emily Kmetko walking down a college quad and laughing with friends. She was hugging a collection of sociology books to her chest.
America remembers Emily Kmetko as the Cinderella story of the Olympics games. Unlike some of her peers, she didn't come from a privileged background. While Kaylie and Lauren tumbled in private gyms as toddlers, Emily learned the tricks of the trade on local playgrounds. Coach Marty Walsh discovered her at a YMCA and brought her to the Rock just before the 2009 National Championship. She eventually went to the Olympics as an alternate, but after Kelly Parker's injury she competed in uneven bars and vault. To everyone's surprise she ended up medaling in the former.
Footage of Emily's flawless dismount from uneven bars appeared on the screen. She stood tall and proud during her salute. Unlike other gymnasts who kept stoic faces, Emily's was full of happy tears. A second later her teammates were on her, covering her in hugs. The joyous picture faded into a present-day interview with Emily Kmetko inside her dorm room. Her shoulder length dark hair was pinned neatly back, away from a somewhat insecure face.
"Emily," Ben Pierce said. "What do you have to say to all those girls out there with big dreams?"
"Um…just keep going, I guess." Emily said. "Never give up and never let someone tell you it's impossible. It's not. If I can do, you certainly can."
"So what was the first thing you did to celebrate after winning your medal?" he asked her.
Emily Kmetko hesitated, twisting her hands around nervously on her lap. She finally answered, "I-I went to Paris, actually."
"How exciting! Did you go with your teammates or family?" Ben Pierce asked.
"I went with…an old friend."
"I'm sure that was quite the experience!"
She smiled. "Defintely."
"And how are you liking college?"
"I love it. I'm just enjoying being a normal student here at Michigan." said, the previous tension from earlier melting as she answered the easier question. "I'm finishing up my senior year and just trying to milk out all the great experiences this place has to offer. It's hard work…different than gymnastics, but hard work."
"So, are you happy?" Ben asked.
Emily's face softened as she looked up to meet Ben's eye. "I think so." she said softly as her image faded from the screen.
Lauren Tanner appeared next. Pictures from her past flashed together quickly – her posing on the beam, her hugging Kaylie after a floor routine, her waving to the cameras in London.
In 2012, Lauren Tanner was one of the most gifted beamers in the World. Though experts had discounted her on the international stage, she proved them wrong by offering a performance worthy of the silver medal. Both she and Payson Keeler beat Genji Cho in the event – perhaps the greatest moment of victory for U.S. Gymnastics. Now, four years later, Lauren Tanner has traded in her leotard for designer clothing.
Twenty two-year-old Lauren Tanner appeared on screen draped in a slinky midnight blue dress. She was posing for photographers with artificial wind blowing through her long, golden hair. A sultry, mysterious look was plastered across her face and camera flashes were going off all around her.
"Yeah, all the post-Olympic sponsorships just morphed into a modeling career." The heavily make-uped Lauren said to the camera from her interview chair. "I moved to LA permanently and have been working steadily ever since. It was unexpected, but I absolutely love it."
"Do you miss gymnastics?" Ben asked her.
"You mean the constant training, constant dieting and demanding schedule…?" she asked with an upturned eyebrow.
Ben laughed. "When you put it that way, it sounds a lot like modeling"
Lauren snickered at his assumption. "Oh my….clearly, you've never been an elite gymnast."
"I'm not going to argue with that!" Ben played along with her sassy answer. "So are you happy, Lauren Tanner?"
Lauren flipped her hair over her shoulder with the kind of attitude only a professional could muster. "Ben, I'm a model. What do you think?"
A few seconds later, Lauren's playful demeanor dissolved and was replaced with footage of Payson Keeler from 2012. It began with a close up of her serious, focused expression. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her body was positioned in the middle of the floor. The lens paned out as she went through the fluid motions of her routine, seamlessly transitioning between beautiful dance elements and perfect tumbling. The grace and poise inserted into every action made her look like she was flying. The video slowed suddenly, highlighting a particularly gorgeous leap.
And of course who could forget the all-around gold medalist of 2012, Payson Keeler? Her win was bittersweet considering her team's overall loss, but the night she won she also stole America's heart. After coming back from a supposedly career-ending back injury, she rose to the top and beat all odds. Her gold medal was literally a miracle.
Now an older version of Payson sat before the camera, long hair combed back in her signature bun. Unlike the liberated, graceful girl form the earlier footage she looked unsure of herself and uncomfortable in her surroundings. Her eyes darted nervously between the camera and Ben Pierce seated next to her.
"So Payson, what's life like after a gold medal?"
As if answering the question, the screen filled with a montage of Payson's life: her walking through her apartment in Boulder, her reading outside under a tree, and her eating dinner with her family. Compared to the images from Lauren and Kaylie's life, everything seemed painfully normal – surprisingly so. Payson's voice was in the background narrating the visuals: "I'm staying close to my family, writing, and just trying to find some new direction in life. It's been nice to slow down and appreciate the little things that I used to take for granted when I was so busy. I've had a lot of time for reflection."
The shot transitioned back to Ben and Payson sitting side by side.
"Payson," he started. "Some experts consider your Olympic floor routine – and this is a direct quote – "the most beautiful routine ever performed in the history of the games." What crosses you mind when you hear things like that?"
"Well…I'm obviously flattered. I mean, technically speaking it wasn't the most difficult the sport has seen, but –"
"But it was breathtaking." Ben interrupted her. "And might I add, very different from your style before your injury in 2009. What sparked this change?"
"Well..." Payson started with difficulty. The camera closed in on her face as if confronting her timidity. "I started developing the artistic side of my gymnastics after my injury. I needed to reinvent myself. Actually, it was a really hard time in my life."
Ben nodded. "That sounds like it was difficult to go through alone."
Payson Keeler took a deep breath.
"I-I wasn't alone."
"So, Payson," Ben said, getting ready to ask the same question he posed curiously to each of the former Rock Rebels. "Are you happy?"
The blonde young woman on the television blinked slowly and looked up at the camera with her large, deep blue eyes.
Ben Pierce took the remote and shut off the television mid-interview with a satisfied smile. He was impatient for feedback from Richard on the preliminary footage.
Richard sighed. "It looks good so far." He almost hated to compliment him.
"Oh and there's more where that came from…"
"You better deliver on those ratings you promised, Ben." Richard warned sternly.
The young television host sighed and leaned back in his chair, once again putting his feet up. Judging by the casual expression on his face, he didn't have a single worry over his anticipated final product. Richard didn't know whether this was a good sign or not.
"Don't worry, Richard." he assured his boss. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Trust me."
a/n - I have a horrible habit of starting new fics before I've finished others. Seriously, it's a problem
JenniferCarolyn, you are an enabler! =) Oh well, so be it. I cannot be changed.