In this week’s episode, Johanna, Derek, and Nathan are joined by Jessica O’Beirne, host of the *must* listen Gymcastic podcast, to talk about harm and abuse in gymnastics, the racial and racist dimensions of the sport, and Jessica’s wonderful work in the public sphere. In the first half of the episode, we talk about Jessica’s efforts to uncover abuse within the sport and how she approaches sensitive and controversial topics and guests on her own podcast, Gymcastic. The second half of the show then shifts attention to the sport’s long history of abuse and harm as well as the racialized dynamics of US gymnastics.
Jessica O’Beirne is a former gymnast and coach and a creator and host of the GymCastic podcast, which since its creation in 2012 has been the most popular gymnastics podcast in the world. As someone who has been deeply involved in gymnastics for most of her life, Jessica is known as a fierce critic of the abusive nature of gymnastics. She’s a supporter of athletes’ and victims’ rights amidst the many scandals that have rocked the sport in the 2010s.
If you haven’t already, check out “Gymnastics Week” on The End of Sport, with interviews with Georgia Cervin, and two with Geza Pozsar, or our interview with the Producer of Netflix’s Athlete A, Jennifer Sey.
You can follow Jessica and Gymcastic on Twitter @OtotheBeirne @Gymcastic and check out some of her written work here:
“Opinion: Larry Nassar duped me. He would have duped you too. Here’s how to stop the next abuser from taking his place” in the Los Angeles Times
The Gymcastic blog
For a transcription of this episode, please click here. (Credit @punkademic)
After listening to the episode, check out our most recent pieces:
“Red-Scare Rhetoric Isn’t Gone From Histories of American Sport” in Jacobin Magazine
"Canceling the College-Football Season Isn't Enough" published in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“'We are being gaslit': College football and Covid-19 are imperiling athletes” in The Guardian
“Canceling the college football season is about union busting, not health” also in The Guardian
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As always, please like, share, and rate us on your favorite podcast app, and give follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
@Derekcrim
@JohannaMellis
@Nkalamb
@EndofSportPod
www.TheEndofSport.com
Episode 138: Sport and the Climate Crisis with Madeleine Orr
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Episode 136: How the Anti-trans Movement Shields Cisgender Sexual Predators
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Episode 132: The Barstool Sports Episode
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Episode 129: Higher Ed 'Crisis' with Asheesh Kapur Siddique and Joe Darda
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Episode 127: Gaza Genocide and Sporting Politics with Karim Zidan
Episode 126: Football, Manliness, and the Conjuncture
Episode 125: Israel and Russia Don't Belong in Paris 2024
Episode 124: The Swiftie Bowl
Episode 123: Palestine Solidarity
Episode 122: Why Canada Needs a Judicial Inquiry into Sport
Episode 121: Anti-trans Discourse, Sport, and our Fascist Moment
Episode 120: Another College Sport Apocalypse
Episode 119: The End of College Football (A Preview)
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