Rita Wieber was in London visiting a friend 10 years ago when she received a call from her husband David telling her that their 6-year-old daughter had been offered a spot on an accelerated gymnastics team.
Rita Wieber called the coach, John Geddert, and was up front with him.
"My daughter just made the 'silver stars' team, and it's nine hours a week -- we're thinking this is a ridiculous amount of time," Wieber told the coach. "Do you really think she's that good?' "
Geddert replied: "Well, she didn't score very well in the skills department -- she really can't do any tricks, and she's not that flexible -- but she's really, really strong, and that's something you can't necessarily teach as much as you can teach flexibility and skill. I think she has potential."
A lot has happened in the last decade: Jordyn Wieber, now 16, grew stronger, more flexible -- and, yes, learned to perform tricks with power and determination. As her training hours doubled, then tripled, the results have been pure gold: Earlier this month, Wieber followed her first U.S. senior national crown by winning the individual all-around title at the world championships in Tokyo.
Two days ago, the DeWitt High junior announced she was turning pro, making the Olympic hopeful eligible for endorsements and prize money in the months leading to next summer's London Games. Although she gave up her NCAA eligibility, she still plans to attend college.
Lucky for her, Wieber has a supportive family, beginning with her parents -- and a mother with a knack for storytelling.
Since obtaining a master's degree in exercise physiology from Michigan State, Rita Wieber has juggled several careers. She currently teaches a health class at Lansing Community College and is an emergency-room nurse at Sparrow Hospital. She is also a longtime freelance writer; Wieber once penned a popular fitness column for the Lansing State Journal for 13 years.
She practices what she preaches: Wieber has run the Chicago Marathon four times and is currently training for a half marathon in the spring.
At the moment, though, Rita Wieber is at work on her biggest project yet: She's researching and writing a book tentatively titled, "Gym Mom -- Surviving your daughter's gymnastics career." She says the book isn't meant to be a "how-to" guide for mothers of gymnasts, but rather a compilation of observations, information and insight from her life and other parents, gymnasts and coaches. She has interviewed a number of former competitors, including 1984 Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton.
Rita Wieber said she hopes the book will be informative, yet fun. Although the book will be self-published, she has secured a distributor and printer.
Jordyn's brother and two sisters -- Ryan, 17; Kyra, 12; and Lindsay, 24 -- will be involved in the project: each has been asked to contribute to a section about what it's like living alongside a world champ. Rita is hoping that Jordyn will cave in and write the forward.
So what does Jordyn think of her mother's book?
"Now that she knows that it's real, she's excited about it," Rita said. "Before, she just thought it was another one of my crazy ideas."
Contact Jo-Ann Barnas: 313-222-2037 or jbarnas@freepress.com .
