ALICIA_KEYS ALL ARIELLE ARIELLE_AND_NATALIE ASHLEY BRENT BRITNEY CAROLYN CHILDREN CHOW CHOW_AND_GABBY CROWD DIRK DIRK_AND_STEPH DOCTOR FEMALE_ANNOUNCER GABBY GABBY_AND_ARIELLE GABBY_AND_CHOW GIRLS JAMES_BLAKE JESSICA JOHN JOYELLE LI LUCY MALE_ANNOUNCER MAN NATALIE NURSE SALLY STEPH TELLER TIM WOMAN YOUNG_WOMAN GABBY You want to know how to become a champion? It's easy. Turn your dream into your goal. Plant it deep in your heart, then for the next 10 years, eat, sleep, breathe, laugh, and cry without ever taking your eye off your goal. Not even for a second. You want to know how to stop becoming a champion? I actually tried that once. Believe it or not, that was a lot harder. DOCTOR She's still bleeding. NATALIE NURSE NATALIE Let me see her! NURSE Doctor. Blood pressure. NATALIE Let me see her. NURSE Saline solution. DOCTOR Take the baby out of here. NURSE Right away, Doctor. NATALIE No, why -why can't I see the baby? GABBY My mom nearly died the day I was born. The way I heard it later, it was a collision course of everything going wrong at the same time. NATALIE Tim, go with her! Don't leave the baby alone! GABBY But even then, she wasn't thinking about herself. NURSE You're gonna be fine. NATALIE What's wrong with her? Why can't I see my baby? NURSE NATALIE Why can't I see the baby? Why can't I see her? DR. WILLIAMS It's called branched chain ketoaciduria. It's a rare blood deficiency. NATALIE Tell me what that means. DR. WILLIAMS It's a metabolic disorder -a deficiency of the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, which catalyzes the catabolism of the branched-chain amino acids... GABBY These are all just fancy words for, "We don't know how to fix what's wrong with your baby." DR. WILLIAMS TIM All right, should be just up ahead. GABBY Mom thought a new city would help my dad find a job. But by the time we got to Tulsa, the landlord had given our place away. He kept our down payment, too. And we had so many eviction judgments against us, no one else would rent to us. NATALIE How soon? TIM By tomorrow. Check out by noon at the latest. We got him to give us an extra hour. NATALIE Did you tell him we have four kids? TIM Yeah, he knows. Look, why don't you call your mother NATALIE I'm not gonna call her again. We've done this enough to her -and to the rest of my family. They don't need to know it's gotten this bad again. NATALIE All right, baby. TIM NATALIE Hey, honey. NATALIE Stop jumping on the bed, sweetie. Stop jumping on the bed. Sit down. ARIELLE Gabrielle's getting better, isn't she? NATALIE Yes, she is getting better. ARIELLE Mom? NATALIE Yes? ARIELLE How come we had to leave again? NATALIE Daddy's not working. But this is kind of like camping. ARIELLE If we're camping, then where are the tents? NATALIE Don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay. Why don't you try to get some sleep? ARIELLE It's too cold. NATALIE Come on. Come here. Let's get you warmed up and get you thinking about other things. Let me hear you say your prayer. Heavenly Father... ARIELLE We thank you for all of your many blessings, and thank you for watching over us and giving us sweet and peaceful sleep. ARIELLE AND NATALIE Amen. NATALIE Ooh, I love you, sweetie. TIM You told me last week I was NATALIE What did he say? TIM He said they can't lend me any more money. It's not what he told me last week. You know, Nat, I should have never have asked. I don't need to sink to that level. You know, I still, I still got my pride. I just got to wait for my ship to come in. That's all. NATALIE I'm calling my mom. TIM I thought we weren't gonna crash at your mom's house. NATALIE We're not. I am. With the kids. TIM What? NATALIE I can't do this anymore. TIM You don't mean that, Natalie. I'm gonna get on my feet. You know that. NATALIE We don't have money for gas. Now, when the kids wake up, what are we gonna feed them? TIM We'll find something. You know, we'll -we'll go on assistance until I can get NATALIE Don't -No, no, no, no. Don't talk to me about food stamps. That's one thing I will never do. I'm just tired of promises that don't come true. TIM Natalie, where's your faith? God is looking out for us. NATALIE Please. TIM Scripture says that we NATALIE Please! Ple- Please. God is not gonna come down from his throne and give you a job. I'm tired of waiting for your ship to come in. I'm gonna get on my own two feet. CHILDREN CAROLYN Hey! Here's my grandbaby. Hey! Hey, John! Oh, look at my babies! JOYELLE Hi! CAROLYN Hey, sweetie! Hey, Arielle. You guys go inside and get some lemonade. Hey, there, little Gabrielle! John, come on and go in the house. You're not gonna be my little bit for too long. Wow, look at her! She's putting on some weight! NATALIE Yeah, her blood count is practically back to normal. Hey, Mama. CAROLYN She's not gonna be my little bit no more? NATALIE No. CAROLYN Hey, baby. Well, you know, he can come inside. NATALIE Yeah, I think he's afraid. CAROLYN Well, I'm not gonna bite him. NATALIE He's afraid of how he looks in your eyes. CAROLYN Ah. CAROLYN You look tired, baby. You should have called me earlier. Come on. Yeah. You hungry? Hey, little bit! Look at my little thing! What? She's getting so heavy! CAROLYN Hey. Looks like you got lots of options. NATALIE Mm. CAROLYN What's that mean, "Mm"? NATALIE I'm gonna walk into these places like, "Hire me!" And what are they gonna see first? My failures or my desperation? And if they ask for a résumé, then what? No husband, four kids, no address. CAROLYN Don't do that to yourself, Natalie. You just freed yourself up so you could make your life different. That was the hard part. Now go make your life different. Hold your head up. Let them see what I'm seeing. Courage. Nobody can stop you anymore. Nobody. NATALIE I love you, Mom. CAROLYN I know you better. NATALIE CAROLYN What you got? NATALIE GABBY Ms. Carolyn was right. It took some time, but Mom got a job as a bad-debt collector. Here's a tip -If you owe money, you do not want my mom coming after you. In no time, she was a star employee, and we finally rented a house of our own. ARIELLE Try this -one-handed. GABBY I can do that. Watch! Aah! Whoo! NATALIE Gabrielle! GABBY Did you see me, Mom?! One-handed! NATALIE Girl, you're gonna break your neck. GABBY Did you see it, Mom? Did you?! NATALIE Did you see my shrub? GABBY One-handed! But I can do a no-handed. Want to see? ARIELLE It's called an aerial. GABBY I can still do it. ARIELLE But I haven't taught you yet. GABBY Doesn't matter! Watch! NATALIE Hey, hey, hey! Get in this house! I know every single one of you have homework to do, so let's go. GABBY I can do an aerial. NATALIE Look at my shrub! Why would you think the shrub would be a landing pad? NATALIE Here we go. There. JOHN "Today should always be better than yesterday." Why that one? NATALIE Because that, John, is the secret to life. GABBY A secret? NATALIE Mm-hmm. That's the reason why it's at the top of our vision board. It's like another way of saying, "Don't look back. Move forward." God helps those who help themselves. How do you think we got here? JOHN We rented a truck. NATALIE All right, smarty-pants. JOYELLE God helped us rent the truck. NATALIE There you go. GABBY Put this on the vision board. NATALIE We are not getting a dog. GABBY But, Mom! It will make today better than yesterday. NATALIE All right, I'll put it up, but only as a metaphor. GABBY A what? NATALIE Um, a reminder to follow your dreams, even though we are not getting a dog. So where do you want to put him? GABBY Right here. NATALIE All right. You put it up there. GABBY Okay. JOHN Ha ha! You broke it! GABBY Did not! Tag! You're it! JOHN That's unfair! GABBY You're just a slowpoke! Slowpoke! NATALIE Hey, hey, hey, hey! I'm on the phone. Take that outside. Yes. GABBY Hey! Hey! Come back here! NATALIE Yeah. I Yeah, I can do Wednesday, too, if I really push it. For sure. Okay. Thank you. GABBY Got you! Come on! GABBY You're it! NATALIE Hmm. NATALIE Nice work, Arie. You're moving fast. NATALIE Ooh! What did she break now? I swear, that child is gonna drive me crazy. ARIELLE You should put her in gymnastics class. NATALIE Who? Brie? No. I always saw you as the gym star. The leotards on and your hair in a cute bun. We just couldn't afford it. ARIELLE Mom, I've taught Brie everything I know. She just eats it up. NATALIE Mm. ARIELLE Remember when I tried back handsprings when I was 9? NATALIE Yeah, and I remember you broke both of your wrists. ARIELLE Brie's already doing them. GABBY Mom! Look! GABBY Whoa! NATALIE Ooh! GABBY Sorry, Mom! ARIELLE You should put her in gymnastics class so she can learn the right way before she hurts herself. WOMAN Okay, now hit the handstand. NATALIE You finally get here, and now you want to be shy? GABBY It wasn't that. I couldn't believe my eyes. Imagine all your Christmases rolled into one moment. That's what it was like. And I knew right then I was exactly where I was supposed to be. NATALIE Gabrielle! Brie! Brie, get back here! DIRK She yours? NATALIE Uh, yeah. I'm sorry. We're here to sign up for the Saturday rec class. DIRK Yeah, I don't think so. NATALIE She's just a little excited. That's all. DIRK Oh, no, no, no. What I mean is -- Uh, I'm sorry. Mrs...? NATALIE Hawkins. Natalie. DIRK Natalie, Hi. Dirk. No, rec class is just tumbling. It's for beginners. How much training has she had? NATALIE None, unless you want to count climbing on all the furniture and breaking half of it. DIRK None? STEPH Wow. TOPS for six months, then DEV. DIRK That's what I was thinking. Elite in five years. GABBY Mom, look! ALL DIRK AND STEPH What's her name? NATALIE Uh, Gabrielle Douglas. DIRK Gabby Douglas. NATALIE Here's your lunch. I want you to eat it all this time, not just the snacks. GABBY Coach said if I do good in TOPS, I'll get invited to training camp. NATALIE "Well" -- "If I do well." GABBY Mom, training camp is with the Karolyis -- Mary Lou Retton's coach, Bela Karolyi! NATALIE Okay, okay. But, listen, Breezy, I want you to eat all your lunch. How are you gonna get strong if you don't eat all your lunch? Here you go. GABBY Are you coming? NATALIE Have I ever missed a competition? GABBY Is John gonna be there? NATALIE John has basketball practice, Arie has cheer practice, and Joy has an ice-skating lesson in half an hour. I got to get them there. See you! GABBY Love you, Mom! Bye! NATALIE I love you, too, Breezy! GABBY NATALIE Never seen a lady in a robe before? NATALIE Yeah, I don't think this prescription is working any better than the last one. Yeah, the migraines are getting worse. Yeah. Nauseous, light-sensitive. I feel like one is coming on now. Oh. More sleep. With four kids. That's not gonna happen. GABBY DIRK You got to concentrate. This is one of the most important skills in gymnastics. Why? Because the kip involves coordination, timing, and strength. Now, some of you are having problems with it, but you'll get there. LUCY Unless you're too short. DIRK As long as you focus on the fundamentals and do your drills. I want to see that... GABBY Mom told me life wasn't always gonna be a day at the beach. She said I should let her know if anyone said mean things. DIRK But it all starts with concentration. Lucy, show us how it's done. Okay. All right. You need to work on that upper body -- strong finish. Gabby, you're up. GABBY But I didn't tell my mom. I had my own way. DIRK Yes! Perfect. Now, that's the kip. So, again...if y'all don't have what it takes to master the kip, you don't have what it takes to be a gymnast. NATALIE NATALIE So, explain this to me again. You're charging the kids money to watch Gabrielle do what? JOHN Tricks. Flips a-and cartwheels. NATALIE You can't take their lunch money! JOHN We're not taking it. They're giving it to us. GABBY I got $2 for a back walkover. NATALIE I don't care. Tomorrow, you take this back and you give them every penny back. GABBY What?! JOHN Mom! NATALIE No, it's not open for discussion. I need to lie down. JOYELLE What's happening now? GABBY Her lights are still off. I think she's crying. It's my fault for taking the money. ARIELLE No, it's not. GABBY Is too! Mom said she couldn't afford to send me to gym camp. John and I were gonna raise the money ourselves, and now -- ARIELLE Hey. It's not your fault. Mom isn't feeling well. It doesn't have anything to do with you. Besides, if you need money, Joy and I will give up our sports. GABBY John, are they tricking me? JOHN You got a talent, Brie. We all see that. ARIELLE You've got to start seeing it, too. JOYELLE You could be the best. GABBY She's like me, Mom. NATALIE Yes, she is. Are you gonna be a superstar like her, too? Yeah? Yeah. Well, don't you worry. I am gonna find the money to get you to that camp. Let Mary Lou Retton's coaches see the next superstar. GABBY Are you sick, Mom? NATALIE Mm. I'm as tough as nails. Don't you worry about me. All right? Now, you go to sleep, 'cause the world is waiting for you in the morning. Good night, sweetheart. GABBY Good night, Mom. GABBY Time went by. Mom liked us all to have focus and goals, so she liked that the stronger I got, the harder I worked to get even stronger. As long as today was better than yesterday, we were all doing okay. DIRK Well, I mean, she's got the drive, and she's getting noticed. The next step is to get her qualified for Junior Elite. NATALIE Junior Elite? DIRK Yeah, she'll be in a higher level and training for harder skills, more competitions. Uh, Britney's a Junior Elite. NATALIE Britney's dad runs a bank. DIRK Well, I mean, if you're serious about the sport... NATALIE What I'm serious about is that my kids have something to believe in. DIRK Well, perfect. Then we'll get her qualified for Junior Elite. You'll be on the road a lot more. Probably have to homeschool her. NATALIE Homeschool? DIRK Yeah. Mm-hmm. GIRLS 93, 94, 95, 96, 97... BRITNEY Coach! How am I supposed to concentrate here? GIRLS ...98, 99, 100! 101, 102... CROWD CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER A 14.350 for Gabby Davis -- er, Douglas, rather -- the newcomer out of Virginia Beach. CROWD NATALIE Yes! Way to go, Gabrielle! MALE ANNOUNCER Gabby Douglas continues to impress. NATALIE That's my girl. MALE ANNOUNCER And here comes Shawn Johnson, and you can hear the audience reaction. They love her. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER Hardest vault in the competition. And dead-on! And she -- she is one happy camper right now. NATALIE That's gonna be you up there one day. GABBY Competitions take you to exciting places and closer to your dreams. But they also expose your doubts. NATALIE 206. Here we go. Wow! Breezy, you have moved up in the world. GABBY I suck at bars. NATALIE This is the nicest hotel we've ever been in, and you're too busy giving yourself a pity party that you don't even notice. Keep focusing on the negative, and it'll come true. Ooh! Come look at this view! GABBY Mom! I came in 16th today. I didn't make the national team. What if I never make the national team -- not this year or the next or the next? NATALIE Do you think before she won, Shawn Johnson never had a bad day? Well, I promise you, she did. GABBY How do you know? NATALIE Because, sweetie, anyone who's ever reached for something, they've had a bad day. Gabrielle, you are 12 years old. Look around you. Look at this place we're staying in. You're at a national competition. But you know what? If you're not having any fun, let's forget about this, go home, sell your leos on eBay. GABBY No! NATALIE Well, it doesn't look like you're having any fun. There you go. So, what do you think? A hotel like this probably has a really nice bathtub. 'Cause I wasn't gonna say anything before, but, hoo, girl, you're kind of ripe. GABBY I earned it. NATALIE Yes, you did. Let's go run you a bath. NATALIE Okay. GABBY Is my nose too flat? NATALIE Did somebody tell you that? Because you have my mama's nose. Are you saying that Ms. Carolyn's nose is too flat? GABBY No. NATALIE Okay. 'Cause she has a perfect nose, just like you. GABBY Did I really get Ms. Carolyn's nose? NATALIE Absolutely. And you got my smile. You're just like a little jigsaw puzzle of all of us, and somehow you got all the best parts. GABBY Mom? NATALIE Yes? GABBY Can we get a dog now? NATALIE No. GABBY Just a small one. NATALIE Do you have wax in your ears? Let me see those ears. GABBY NATALIE Oh, yeah, there's some wax in there. I got to wash it out! GABBY Zoway! Zoway, Zoway! Come here! NATALIE Don't get him excited! You know he's already wild. GABBY Are you wild? Huh, boy? You wild? NATALIE All right, now, you have to take him for a walk, because I have to go to work. GABBY You'll be back for tonight, right? NATALIE I will try. GABBY Try? Mom, it's the Olympics. NATALIE Olympic trials, and I know. You've had it circled on the calendar for over a year. I will be there. GABBY Okay. NATALIE All right. GABBY Bye, Mom. Love you! Don't be late! NATALIE Bye! Love you, Brie! GABBY Bye! GABBY There she is -Shawn Johnson. MALE ANNOUNCER This is a multi-layered story -Shawn Johnson. You saw her coach, there, Liang Chow -- came from China. FEMALE ANNOUNCER Opened up Chow's Gymnastics, and one day, in walked Shawn. At that very moment, he knew they had a future. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER I thought it was smoother than the nationals. MALE ANNOUNCER Oh, yeah. Phenomenal. One of the most difficult routines being done in the world. Has the highest degree of difficulty for anyone in this meet. FEMALE ANNOUNCER And on top of that, coming in with brand-new choreography. It takes time to own your own routine and to feel really comfortable. ARIELLE Gabrielle? Are you okay? GABBY That's my coach. ARIELLE What are you talking about? GABBY I'm going to the Olympics. And Liang Chow is gonna be my coach. NATALIE The Olympics? GABBY I wanted to stand on the Olympic platform. I wanted to be the best in the world. I could close my eyes and see it. Problem was, who believes a little kid could have a dream so strong, it would eat you alive if it didn't come true? No one. That's who. But it was a dream that wouldn't go away. It just got stronger. I knew it was time to make everyone else believe in me, too. DIRK All right, come on, everyone. Let's clean up. Let's go. GABBY Coach! I can do the Amanar vault. I'm ready. DIRK You're still not getting enough height on your takeoff. One wrong landing, you blow your ACLs, and that's it -- Your career's over. GABBY Well, I can get more height. Just show me. DIRK Stop rushing everything, Gabby. I don't think you're ready yet. GABBY Well, if you don't believe in me, how am I supposed to get anywhere? ASHLEY Like the Olympics? DIRK Ashley, grab those mats. Gabby, be patient. There's time. Now, stop worrying about the Amanar. You have a competition coming up. Focus on that. All right? CROWD ARIELLE You got it. You got it, Gabby. FEMALE ANNOUNCER One of the rising stars of the sport. Every competition, she seems to come out a little more polished. MALE ANNOUNCER Absolutely. You know, you can really sense the confidence here. I think this is gonna be one to watch. Really good form here. And she really keeps those lines. This dismount's got a high level of difficulty. FEMALE ANNOUNCER Yes! What a strong finish. MALE ANNOUNCER Wow. Really sticks the landing. Look at her. Look at her. She knows it. She is beaming. DIRK Well, that was a surprise, huh? I didn't think you were gonna pull that off. All right. GABBY What's that supposed to mean -- He didn't think I'd pull it off? JOHN I'll get it. GABBY He's my coach. Isn't he supposed to believe in me? But he's always like, "No, you're not ready for this. You're not ready for that." NATALIE Well, I believe in you, Breezy. JOHN Hello? GABBY You're not my coach. I bet Coach Chow doesn't say that. ARIELLE Oh, boy. Now we're gonna be talking about Coach Chow for the rest of the night, huh? GABBY Well, I bet he doesn't. JOHN Mom, it's the pharmacy. NATALIE All right. Coming. ARIELLE Coach Chow, Coach Chow. NATALIE Arie. Come on. Leave her alone. GABBY The pharmacy? NATALIE It's nothing. I just have to have my prescription changed. NATALIE Is it hot in here to you? Um, could you hold my place, please? I'm gonna go, um, sit down for a second. WOMAN Uh-huh. Sure. NATALIE TELLER Right. Next, please. GABBY How do you have a bad reaction to medicine? Isn't it supposed to help you? ARIELLE I don't know, Gabrielle. GABBY Well, what does it mean? ARIELLE I'm not a doctor. JOYELLE It means she has to stop working so she can rest. ARIELLE Did Mama tell you that? Stop working for how long? JOHN They're here. CAROLYN John. Arielle. Come help me get your mother in the house. I got it, baby. I got it. Take your time. ARIELLE You okay? NATALIE Yeah, I'm all right, sweetheart. CAROLYN Listen. Your mama had a bad reaction to her medication, but she's gonna be okay. I don't want y'all to worry. But it could be a while before she gets back on her feet. She's not allowed to work. So money is gonna get real tight in the next few months, until her disability kicks in. Okay? John? NATALIE Brie, what are you doing here? Don't you have a practice to go to? GABBY It's too expensive, Mama. And we're poor. NATALIE Do you know what poor is? Poor is when you run out of hope. And that's not us -- not by a long shot. You want to make me feel better? Then go to practice. You got a competition coming up, and you need to be ready for it. 'Cause I'm gonna be at that competition. I don't know about you. You plan on being at that competition? Yeah? Well, go get ready. JAMES BLAKE JAMES BLAKE You're on your own. In a world you've grown. Few more years to go. Don't let the hurdle fall. So be the girl you loved. Be the girl you loved. I'll wait. So show me while you're strong. Ignore everybody else. We're alone now. I'll wait. So show me while you're strong. Ignore everybody else. We're alone now. Suddenly I'm hit. It's the starkness of the dawn. And your friends are gone. And your friends won't come. So show me where you fit. So show me where you fit. I'll wait. So show me while you're strong. Ignore everybody else. We're alone now. I'll wait. We're alone now. We're alone now. I'll wait. We're alone now. We're alone now. We're alone now. Suddenly I'm hit. It's the starkness of the dawn. And your friends are gone. And your friends won't come. So show me where you fit. So show me where you fit. JAMES BLAKE CROWD NATALIE ARIELLE Mom, what is it? NATALIE They used to call them food stamps. GABBY It looks like a debit card. NATALIE Well, it's not. When you guys were younger, I vowed I would never, ever rely on another handout. YOUNG WOMAN Nice! YOUNG WOMAN Come on, Kelly! MAN Now, keep your legs straight this time. GABBY Please, Mom! What are the chances? I mean, it's a sign or something! Coach Chow right here?! I-It's fate or something, or something meant to be, or -- NATALIE Are you gonna peel that or are you just gonna keep waving it around? GABBY Please, Mama. I mean I know it's more money, but...what if it is fate? NATALIE Mm. What are you gonna say when you first meet him? GABBY You mean I get to go?! Aah! Oh, my God! I'm gonna tell him he's my hero and I've waited my whole entire life just to meet him, and I'm gonna show him everything that I can do. NATALIE You're gonna breathe. You're gonna breathe when you talk to him. NATALIE All right, now, peel these carrots, girl. GABBY NATALIE GABBY And I'm gonna tell him I waited two whole years to meet him. I'm gonna tell him there isn't anything I don't want to learn, as long as he'll teach me. CHOW Hello. I am Liang Chow. Hi. I'm -- GABBY I'm Gabrielle Douglas. CHOW Hello, Gabrielle Douglas. What do you hope to learn today? GABBY Everything. CHOW I don't know about everything, but I'll try not to disappoint you. Hi. I'm Liang Chow. ASHLEY I'm Ashley. CHOW Hi, Ashley. Let's talk about music, okay? You're probably thinking, "Music? I thought Chow was going to teach me gymnastics!" Well, what if I told you all gymnasts are musicians and these are your instruments? Rhythm and tempo, the steady beats, and then...the crescendo! GIRLS CHOW Today I'm going to teach you how to play these instruments. How many of you do doubles? How many of you are ready to learn the Amanar? You -- step out. You can do a double twist? GABBY Sure. CHOW Show me. Yes! Lots of power! I like that! GABBY CHOW The Amanar was named for the first gymnast who did it, Simona Amânar. It's one of the hardest vaults in the sport. Not only is it 2½ twists in the air, which was considered impossible before Simona did it, but it's a blind landing. You cannot see the mat before you hit it. GABBY CHOW The vault's sound is fast, strong, short notes, power. Think of a drum, hmm? Now, give me the double twist, but stay in for the other half turn. GABBY Okay. GABBY Mama! Mama! He taught me! Mama, Coach Chow taught me how to do the Amanar! NATALIE Whoa! GABBY I did it! I did the Amanar! NATALIE Okay, okay! Calm down! You act like the world's about to end. All right. Tell me again, but slowly. GABBY Mama, he taught me one of the hardest vaults to do in just a few hours. NATALIE Well, congratulations. It sounds like you got something out of that clinic. GABBY No! That's not the point. If Liang Chow can teach me that in two hours, just think what else he could teach me. I have to train with him. NATALIE What? GABBY I want to move to Iowa and train with Coach Chow. NATALIE Good one. For a second there, I almost thought you were serious. GABBY But I am serious. NATALIE Brie, please. GABBY Mama, please! NATALIE He lives in Des Moines, Iowa! Do you know how far away that is from here? Go look it up on the map. I don't think you realize that's over 1,000 miles away from here. GABBY Mama, I want to train with Liang Chow! NATALIE And how would you get there, Gabrielle? Where would you live? It's impossible. GABBY It's not! NATALIE Ooh. And you have chutzpah. Do you know what chutzpah is? Go look that one up, too. GABBY Mama, don't laugh at me. I'm going to train with him. I don't care what you say. NATALIE Gabrielle Douglas. Who do you think you are talking to? You better watch your mouth, young lady. Talking under your breath like you're some spoiled brat. Get up there and go wash up for dinner. You done lost your mind. WOMAN All right, let's try that again. DIRK Come on! Gabby! Pick up your feet. When you hit the mat in the Pak-salto, that's 5/10 off your score. Try it again. GABBY It's not working. I've tried it 20 times. DIRK Well, maybe you're not trying hard enough. Let's go. GABBY I wanted to jump up and yell right back, "Maybe you're not teaching me right." But I wasn't raised that way. And then a mix-up with Chow's ride to the airport gave me my last hope. My mom offered to take him, and I knew that by the end of the ride, she would have gotten to know him and realized I was right. NATALIE My daughter is very driven. CHOW Better that than a driven parent. No offense. NATALIE Mm, none taken. CHOW NATALIE I believe in letting all my kids make their own choices. So, who inspired you? Your mother? Coach? CHOW Neither. I was taken out of my school at 5 and put into a state program for gifted athletes. In China, it's called "juguo tizhi." It means "whole nation system." I only saw my family three times a year. NATALIE Mm. You must have missed them. CHOW Of course. But even at that age, I knew I had to make my country proud. Life isn't always easy in China. NATALIE It's not always easy here, either. I can tell you some stories. CHOW GABBY What do you mean, small talk? NATALIE Like how he came to America, about his family. GABBY What about training me? NATALIE Gabrielle, he lives in Iowa. We live here. GABBY Mama, all that time together, and you didn't mention the most important thing in the world? NATALIE Help me fold these clothes, Gabrielle. GABBY It isn't fair! NATALIE Gabrielle, we're not gonna keep doing this. Here. You fold your leos. Think about something else. GABBY No, I'm not gonna fold my leos. I don't need them anymore. If I can't train with Coach Chow, then I'm not gonna do gymnastics. What's the point? I quit! And I don't want dinner ever! NATALIE Well, you know what? You don't have to eat, then. CAROLYN A hunger strike? Well, you got to give her points for that drama. NATALIE She hasn't spoken to me in a week. CAROLYN Mm. NATALIE Oh, gosh. When she gets her mind set to something, it's like Where does she get that from? CAROLYN Excuse me? Are you kidding? You better look in the mirror, girl. NATALIE No. CAROLYN NATALIE No, no, I'm stubborn, but Brie -No. That's a whole -She's just, like, beyond. It's like she was put on Earth for this one thing. Sometimes I lay in bed and I ask God, "Why? Why her? Why my little Boo Tookie Boo?" CAROLYN NATALIE She was so sick and nearly died that first year, and out of all the little girls in this whole, wide world, she was picked. And is it a gift or is it a burden? CAROLYN You know, you're the only one who can answer that. NATALIE Mama, I got four kids, and I'm barely keeping it together. Here she is, this force of nature, with dreams as big as the sky. CAROLYN Well, I remember walking in those shoes myself not too long ago. You wanted to be a lawyer, and until Arielle, it was what you lived for. And you would have made a great lawyer. NATALIE Mm. CAROLYN But I'm gonna tell you -There's nothing worse for a mother than seeing her child's dream go unanswered. NATALIE Mama, I can't afford to send her to Iowa. CAROLYN And you can't afford not to. Mwah. GABBY You see one yet? JOHN Nah. Some little ones over there, but nothing's moving. GABBY I bet there are a lot of stars in Iowa. JOHN You aren't going to Iowa. You might as well stop thinking about it. GABBY Why would you say that? JOHN Well...'cause, for one, we live here. Two, you can't afford to get out there. Three, even if you could afford to get out there, you've got no place to live. Four, I mean, if you went to Iowa, no one would be able to take care of you like I could. Five -- GABBY Are you saying you're gonna miss me? You would, wouldn't you? JOHN Hey, now. Cut it out. Is that one? GABBY No. That's just a plane. JOHN Mm. GABBY As it turns out, my prayers were being heard, and I didn't even know it. 1,000 miles away, a family who didn't even know me was about to change my life. Some people don't believe in miracles. BRENT If you find a girl who needs it... SALLY And we've already got the four girls, right? I mean, what's one more if it means helping someone reach their goal? BRENT We've got the room. CHOW Thank you. GABBY They call it a coincidence or luck. No, sir. Not me. When an impossible array of stars all line up just so one puny, little human can reach out and grab ahold of her dreams, it isn't just luck or a coincidence at work. It's something much bigger watching out for you. ARIELLE Call him, Mom. NATALIE I just don't know how we would do it. I mean, money's already tight. NATALIE And then on top of that -What are you doing? ARIELLE I'm calling him for you. Okay, we walk by faith, not by sight. Isn't that what you've told us our whole lives? NATALIE Yes, it is what I've taught you ARIELLE It's ringing. NATALIE Hi. Yes, this is, um, Natalie Hawkins. I'm calling to speak with Coach Chow. Sure, sure. I'll hold. CHOW Yes, of course I remember her. I -Mm. Mm-hmm. No, I understand, not everyone could just pick up and move to Iowa. Your daughter's an exceptional athlete. I would -- Mrs. Hawkins, if you -- Can I just stop you for a minute? Believe it or not, I think I might have a solution for you. NATALIE They would let Gabrielle stay with them? For two years? A family might host her. She would have a place to live. ARIELLE NATALIE Um, yeah, I-I-I'll talk to her about it, um, when I pick her up this afternoon. Okay. All right. Um, thank you. ARIELLE Seriously? NATALIE Some family wants to do something nice. ARIELLE Oh, my God. NATALIE Wow. ARIELLE That's incredible. NATALIE What did I just do? NATALIE That whale's never gonna fit. GABBY Okay. So, do you like this sweater, or do you like this one better? NATALIE I don't know, Brie. Just pick one. You are not gonna be able to pack all this stuff. ARIELLE Aah! I can't believe it. Breezy, you're really going. Iowa! GABBY AND ARIELLE GABBY Don't look at me like that. You're gonna make me cry. ARIELLE Just...I'm really gonna miss you. Come here. I love you. GABBY I love you. ARIELLE Are you bringing that sweater? I told you not to pack that. GABBY What do you pack when you're leaving home for the first time in your life, and no suitcase in the world is big enough for what you want to take with you? ARIELLE You're living my dream. Do you know that? So, go up there and be your best, okay? Come here. GABBY Bye, Joy. JOYELLE Gonna miss you. GABBY I'm gonna miss you more. John. Oh, come on. Don't be like that. NATALIE Brie. Brie. He'll call you later. This is tough for him. We got to go. We don't want to miss our flight. GABBY Bye, Zoway. Don't forget me when I'm gone, okay? GABBY Where is everything? Zoway's gonna forget me. NATALIE He won't forget you, sweetheart. GABBY Two years is a long time. NATALIE Yes, it is. YOUNG WOMAN Coach, watch this! WOMAN Nice! YOUNG WOMAN How was my line? WOMAN Come on. You did it in competition. Do it again. Don't step forward. YOUNG WOMAN Got it, Coach. WOMAN Ella, come back. Concentrate. CHOW Gabby. This is my wife, Li. She'll be coaching you, too. LI Welcome, Gabby. My husband has told me so much about you. CHOW Now that you're here, what do you think? GABBY It's...I can't even say. CHOW But it's what you wanted, right? GABBY I want to go to the Olympics. And I want to win. CHOW You haven't given us much time. London is just 22 months away. GABBY Oh, I'll give you 100% every day. CHOW I'd like to speak candidly. Do you mind? NATALIE Please. CHOW Every single person you see here has the same dream -- to go to the Olympics. That little girl, she's been with me three years now. Her parents told me that the first sentence she spoke was that she wanted to win at the Olympics. I believe she'll get there one day. GABBY And me? CHOW I see the possibility of you getting to the Olympics, but I can't guarantee it. Your difficulty level and physical condition need a lot of upgrading. I don't know how hard you're really willing to work. GABBY Oh, hard. I promise. Just...Just believe in me. CHOW We'll start tomorrow. GABBY CHOW You'll be doing 28 hours per week. GABBY At home, I do 36, and I'm willing to do a lot -- CHOW I have my way. Believe in me. SALLY You must be Gabby. I'm Sally, and this is my husband, Brent. BRENT Welcome to Iowa. We are so grateful that you are gonna let us be your host family. JESSICA Is that her, Mommy? SALLY Yes, it is, princess. This is Jessica, one of our girls. SALLY And this is Jill and our oldest, Connie, and our youngest, Beth-Anne, and you met Jessica, right? So, how was the -- NATALIE You have a love-- SALLY Oh, you -- you first. NATALIE I was just gonna say, you guys have a lovely home. BRENT Thank you. Okay, so, who's hungry? GIRLS Me! BRENT You guys are always hungry. All right, to the kitchen. Come on in. They're gonna beat us there. BRENT We are grateful for bringing us together. And we want to thank you, Lord Jesus, for bringing Gabby into our home. And, God, please bless our food. In your name we pray. Amen. ALL Amen. SALLY SALLY You girls are gonna give them some time, okay? GABBY Is this a good idea? 'Cause it's not feeling like I thought it would. NATALIE It's what you wanted, Brie. GABBY Mama, nobody said Iowa doesn't have any black people. NATALIE I'm sure there's more of us somewhere. GABBY Don't go. NATALIE It's too late for you to have a change of heart now, baby. This will be the hardest part, sweetie. Tomorrow, you'll be in your element, where you belong. I'm so proud of you, I could pop. Ohhh. I love you, my Boo Tookie Boo. GABBY Mama. NATALIE Ohhh. One more hug...before I start bawling my eyes out in front of all these nice people. I love you, sweetie. GABBY I love you. NATALIE CHOW Study this closely. These are the dates that are going to control your life for the next two years. This is today. And this is the London Olympics. But you can't get there unless you win here the U.S. Olympic Trials. There will be competitions throughout the year. They're all important. But the road to there really starts here -- the Visa Championships. And starting now, you have to forget everything you thought you knew. Because I'm going to rebuild you muscle by muscle. MAN Yeah, you can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong banging on your chest. You could beat the world. You could beat the war. You could talk to God, go banging on his door. You can throw your hands up. You can beat the clock. You can move a mountain. You can break rocks. You can be a master. Don't wait for luck. Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself standing in the Hall of Fame. Yeah. And the world's gonna know your name. Yeah. 'Cause you burn with the brightest flame. Yeah. And the world's gonna know your name. Yeah. And you'll be on the walls of the Hall of Fame. You can go the distance. You can run the mile. You can walk straight through hell with a smile. You could be the hero. You could get the gold, breaking all the records they thought never could be broke. Yeah, do it for your people, do it for your pride. How you ever gonna know if you never even try? Do it for your country, do it for your name. 'Cause there's gonna be a day when you're standing in the Hall of Fame. Yeah. And the world's gonna know your name. Yeah. 'Cause you burn with the brightest flame. Yeah. And the world's gonna know your name. Yeah. GABBY Mom was right. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest part. Before I knew it, months had passed. MAN Be a champion. Be a champion in the Hall of Fame. Be students, be teachers, be politicians, be preachers. GABBY I gained 10 pounds, and it was all muscle. Every skill I thought I knew was rethought. Routines I never believed I could do became second nature. MAN Be believers, be leaders, be astronauts, be champions. Standing in the Hall of Fame. GABBY With Chow, I competed against the best gymnasts in this country and internationally. MAN Whoa, yeah. You'll be on the walls of the Hall of Fame. You can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong banging on your chest. You could beat the world. You could beat the war. You can be a champion. Banging on his door. GABBY Then it was time to put it all together. The Olympics were just a year away. The Visa nationals were the first of the competitions that would decide who makes the team. As Chow said, it was "make it or break it" time. CHOW Right here, Gabby. Your body shouldn't be hollow here. You need to open up a little more in your rib cage. When you push off here, your ankles will be springs, but your spine reaches, like this. Hmm? GABBY Mm-hmm. CHOW And don't be so serious. GABBY CHOW Don't force your body to do what it already knows. Relax, right? GABBY Mm-hmm. CHOW Focused but relaxed. So grace can enter the skill. Right? CHOW AND GABBY CHOW Let me see. Yes, Gabby! Like that! Again. GABBY Unh! CHOW Gabby! Gabby! Don't move, don't move, don't move. Get some ice. It's her hamstring. GABBY In my mind, I kept hearing the sound of my hamstring popping. It was the sound of my dreams starting to unravel. BRENT Gabby? GABBY I can't fall behind. Coach Chow told me to rest tonight. Don't tell him, okay? SALLY What is it? BRENT Pure determination...dressed up like a teenager. SALLY CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER I don't want to foreshadow anything here, but she has not just this week, but in warm-ups today, really had a tough go on the beam. NATALIE Come on, Breezy, girl. Come on. Let's go. GABBY NATALIE Gabrielle, we're not gonna keep doing this. LUCY Unless you're too short. CROWD CHOW But it's what you wanted, right? MALE ANNOUNCER And the momentum is really not going the right way for her tonight, as well. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER Another big skill. This is one of those meets that is, uh, quite frankly, very hard to recover from. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER It's not just a matter of, you know, having some problems. This is letting it really get to you and letting the emotions completely control your actions. And...just badness all around. BRENT Another competition, and you'll get your confidence back. GABBY It's not that. It's just... It was "make it or break it" time, and...I let everyone down. SALLY No, you did not let anyone -- GABBY I saw it in Chow's face. After everything everyone's done for me. My sisters, they gave up their sports just so I could do mine. And my mother -- We were on food stamps, and she always found a way for me to keep training. SALLY They're all real proud of you, honey. Nobody -- GABBY And my brother. I'm, like, his best friend, and he's mine, and I left him. I let everyone down. BRENT Sports isn't always about winning, Gabby. It's about finding out who you really are. Sometimes...the only way to get stronger is to get knocked down. SALLY Your mom is gonna be here in four months. Isn't that something to look forward to? BRENT She's pretty darned excited. ALL SALLY It's all she talks about. BRENT Heck, we're all pretty darn excited. We're really proud of you, Gabby. GABBY As those four months went by, I had the aching awareness that who I really was did not belong there. And after a while, I couldn't think of anything else. Who I really was wanted to go home. CHOW Concentrate, Gabby. Think of the skill piece by piece. The key is to keep your hips square. Hmm? Again. Where are you going, Gabby? Don't do this. Gabby! Gabby. GABBY CHOW I know how hard it can be. For two years, you've trusted everything I've told you, right? Now trust this. The only thing harder than what you're feeling now is quitting. GABBY It's not working. CHOW What isn't working? GABBY Everything. CHOW You can be the best in the world. Did you hear those words? "Best in the world." But you have to block out all of the distractions and believe in yourself. Stay...and work this out...and you will be an athlete who inspires nations. Walk away...and you'll be sitting on the couch watching someone else win your Olympic medal. You'll regret this the rest of your life. GABBY Following my dreams was supposed to lead me to who I really was. But who I really was was lost. NATALIE Gabrielle. Coach Chow said you were looking for me, said you wanted to talk to me about something? GABBY Unh-unh. NATALIE Unh-unh? You weren't looking for me? GABBY No. Talk. I can't talk about it. NATALIE Is everything okay? CROWD GABBY Can we go someplace quiet? NATALIE What's going on? GABBY I didn't have the nerve to tell you, so I wrote it. NATALIE The Olympics are exactly 210 days away, and you want to quit? Is this a joke? GABBY No. I want to go home. NATALIE Gabrielle, is there something going on here that you're not telling me about? Then you're gonna have to do better than, "I want to go home," because this -- this is not making any sense. GABBY I just want to be normal, Ma. NATALIE Baby, you weren't born to be normal. Everything you've done your entire life has been exceptional. GABBY NATALIE No. No. You are not gonna quit. No. You have worked too hard for this, Gabrielle. We have sacrificed so much for this. And now you want to quit? Exceptional people don't just quit. GABBY I don't want to be exceptional! I don't want to go to the Olympics! NATALIE Does Coach Chow know? GABBY No. Can you tell him? NATALIE Oh! Ohhhhh! Ungh! Gabrielle! You signed a contract. What you're doing is dishonorable. If you want to quit, you tell Coach Chow yourself, and after that, you tell everybody else whose heart you're gonna break. NATALIE And I've told her, look at all the people that sacrificed for you -- Sally and Brent. Your brother and sisters, your entire life. Ms. Carolyn, me. GABBY I know, Mom! I can get a job and pay you back. NATALIE No, Gabrielle, you cannot pay me back! Paying me back would be following through on your life's dream, and you just want to throw it all away! You think there aren't other little girls out there who miss their families? CHOW She is gifted. One of the best in the sport. NATALIE I know that. And she knows that, too. CHOW But an Olympic athlete is more than talent and muscle. If she doesn't have it in her heart, it isn't there. We can't teach it. You can't force it. And even Gabby can't make it any different. A champion isn't made of muscle. A champion is made of heart. CHOW We'll give her some time to figure this out. If she wants to quit, she will. Meanwhile, she's been accepted to the AT&T American Cup. She's just an alternate, so the points won't count. There won't be any pressure on her. NATALIE JOHN Stupid. GABBY What did you just say? Did you just call me stupid? JOHN Yeah, what do you think it's called when you give up for nothing? GABBY It's not for nothing. I want to come home. JOHN You're living your dream. You can't give up now. GABBY I know, but... JOHN No "buts," okay? I mean, athletes don't whine and complain. My coach brings me through hell and back, and you know what? I love it. 'Cause it makes me better. Now, you got to tough it out. It's the life of an athlete. GABBY John, I want to come home. I want to be with everyone. JOHN Brie, listen to me. Are you listening? GABBY Mm-hmm. JOHN You are with everyone. I mean, we're right there with you. And when you go up there to get your medals, we're gonna be right up there, too. Can't you see that? You're winning for all of us. You didn't think you were doing it all on your own, did you? Look, you get that thing that I sent you? GABBY The thing I'm not allowed to open? Yeah. JOHN You can open it now. GABBY "Today should always be better than yesterday." JOHN It's our family saying, Brie. If you live by that, then we'll always be together. 'Cause no matter where you are, you can take us with you. You get that other thing? All right. Now put it on the board, where you can see it. Don't quit on us, Brie. LI And again. CHOW What's the most important thing about gymnastics? Hmm? The most important thing about gymnastics is...it's fun! Yes. MALE ANNOUNCER And what we're seeing here tonight, well, 21 weeks before the Olympics, Gabby Douglas isn't even officially competing. Right now, she's leading the top two U.S. gymnasts in this competition. FEMALE ANNOUNCER She's attempting the 2½ here. It's also called the Amanar vault, one of the hardest in the competition. It's her first time trying it in exhibition. MALE ANNOUNCER Ooh! She nailed it! Gabby Douglas! CROWD FEMALE ANNOUNCER And right from the first workout here in New York, we knew there was something very different about Gabby. MALE ANNOUNCER The growth in this young lady is absolutely spectacular. FEMALE ANNOUNCER Watch this dismount. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER Leading the top two U.S. gymnasts by a full 2/10 as an alternate, this is one for the storybooks. FEMALE ANNOUNCER And here it is -- her final pass. You can feel the excitement in here. CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER Well, it all comes down to the Olympic Trials in three months. Can she do this again, when the points count? CHOW Good. Good. Last kick here. You were a little late on the release. GABBY What if I can't? CHOW The bars have become your best event. You've done the high release a million times. GABBY No. What if they're right? What if I do cave under pressure? The bar just wasn't there. CHOW You can't think of it like that. I'm going to tell you the secret of gymnastics. GABBY Now? Why not two years ago? CHOW You weren't ready then. You can't think of it as "release the bar," "catch the bar." There's no release. There's no catch. Because it's all one. When you are in your moment, when you are doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing, it's all one. You are not reaching for the bar, because you've already got it. Know that in the deepest part of your being. There's no past, no future. You are the bar. You are the air. You are the catch. You are the eyes on you. It's all one reality. Every moment of your life has led to this. It's all part of this. You are not separate from the skill. You are the skill. And it's all part of the same perfect moment. GABBY Sounds like fate. CHOW Maybe. I call it gymnastics. GABBY AND CHOW GABBY CROWD MALE ANNOUNCER Four skills. Four chances to show they've got what it takes to represent the USA in the Olympic Games. For each of these athletes, it's a lifelong dream. CHOW There's no past, no future. It's all one reality. You are not separate from the skill. You are the skill. Every moment of your life has led to this. CROWD JOYELLE Yeah! Whoo! JOHN Yeah! MALE ANNOUNCER Gabby Douglas takes the top spot in these trials and will be representing Team USA in the Olympics! CROWD CHOW You did it. GABBY We did it. WOMAN We love you, Gabby! ALICIA KEYS This girl is on fire. WOMAN Fire, fire. ALICIA KEYS This girl is on fire. She's walking on fire. This girl is on fire. Everybody stands as she goes by 'cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes. Watch her as she's lighting up the night. Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl. And it's a lonely world. But she gon' let it burn, baby. Burn, baby. This girl is on fire. WOMAN Fire, fire. ALICIA KEYS This girl is on fire. She's walking on fire. WOMAN Fire, fire. ALICIA KEYS This girl is on fire. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, ohhhhh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. She's just a girl, and she's on fire.