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 62: Covid-19 and College Basketball with Jordan Bohannon
Episode 61: Klete Keller, Sport Media, and The Whiteness Problem in Swimming with Christienna Fryar and Matt Hodler
Episode 60: Sport and Politics on the Field and in the Academy with Lucía Trimbur, Part II
Episode 59: Ethnography of a Gridiron Concussion Crisis with Lucía Trimbur, Part I
Episode 58: “A Horrific Canadian Soccer Story” with Ciara McCormack, Part II
Episode 57: “Our Passion Was Used Against Us” with Ciara McCormack, Part I
Episode 56: Raging Against the (College Sports) Machine with David West and Ricky Volante
Episode 55: Constructing New Rooms with Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
Episode 54: Anthropology of an American Pandemic with Adia Benton
Episode 53: Georgia On My Mind with Amanda Mull
Episode 52: Fascism, Spectacle, and Politics with Maximillian Alvarez and Sina Rahmani
Episode 51: Racialized Organizations, Politics, (and Sports) with Victor Ray
Episode 50: Harm and Hockey with Rick Westhead
Episode 49: Sport and COVID-19 Special with Gavin Yamey and Zachary Binney
Episode 48: #WeAreUnited with Otito Ogbonnia
Episode 46: Swimming While Black with Jamal Hill
Episode 45: Racialized Nationalism and Hegemonic Masculinity in Swimming with Matt Hodler
Episode 44: The Culture of Abuse in Swimming with Katherine Starr
Episode 43: The Golden Age of Black Swimming with Kevin Dawson
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