{"product_id":"off-balance-9781451608663","title":"Off Balance","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this searing and riveting \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller, Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu reveals the dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, the true price of success...and the shocking secret about her past and her family that she only learned years later.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt fourteen years old, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 US Women's Olympic Gymnastics team, the first and only American women's team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixyish appearance and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her life was a series of challenges and hardships. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eOff Balance \u003c\/i\u003evividly delineates each of the dominating characters who contributed to Moceanu's rise to the top, from her stubborn father and long-suffering mother to her mercurial coach, Bela Karolyi. Here, Moceanu finally shares the haunting stories of competition, her years of hiding injuries and pain out of fear of retribution from her coaches, and how she hit rock bottom after a public battle with her parents. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut medals, murder plots, drugs, and daring escapes aside (all of which figure into Moceanu's incredible journey), the most unique aspect of her life is the family secret that Moceanu discovers, opening a new and unexpected chapter in her adult life. A mysterious letter from a stranger reveals that she has a second sister--born with a physical disability and given away at birth--who has nonetheless followed in Moceanu's footsteps in an astonishing way. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA multilayered memoir that transcends the world of sports, \u003ci\u003eOff Balance \u003c\/i\u003ewill touch anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDominique Moceanu \u003c\/b\u003eis the youngest American gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal, and the youngest to win a Senior National All-Around Title. She lives near Cleveland, Ohio. Visit Dominique-Moceanu.com.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Touchstone Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50662424838418,"sku":"9781451608663","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_3b33da4c-3e48-4e4e-8982-456fce0d4198.jpg?v=1733523651","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/off-balance-9781451608663","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}