--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The joy had been ripped away from me, but…" description: "\"The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I loved the competition floor. And I thought, 'Gymnastics is literally the only thing I have.'\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg" --- # The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I… ![“The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I loved the competition floor. And I thought, 'Gymnastics is literally the only thing I have.'” quote by Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg) > “The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I loved the competition floor. And I thought, 'Gymnastics is literally the only thing I have.'” [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despite losing joy, the narrator still loves gymnastics, seeing it as essential identity. **In simple terms:** Gymnastics remains core despite pain. Key Takeaway Hold onto core passions. Themes sports identity resilience Mood determined reflective Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - injury recovery - career transition - mental health Key Concepts psychology of sport meaning-making Questions to Reflect On - What keeps you attached to a painful pursuit? - When should you let go? A Different Perspective Passion can become a burden. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Gymnastics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gymnastics/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [In elite gymnastics, I was surrounded by this bubble, that gymnastics was literally all I knew, and I'd like to know about worldly issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/in-elite-gymnastics-i-was-surrounded-by-this-bubble-that-gymnastics/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [If I thought of gymnastics as a job, it would put too much stress on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/if-i-thought-of-gymnastics-as-a-job-it-would-put-too-much-stress-on-me/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [Four years ago, I was thinking… no Olympics, who am I? Probably in ’04, I was identified with gymnastics. I thought gymnastics was who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-bhavsar/four-years-ago-i-was-thinking-no-olympics-who-am-i-probably-in-04-i/) Raj Bhavsar > [I loved the game - I loved the competition. But I never had any fun. All hard work - all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-yastrzemski/i-loved-the-game-i-loved-the-competition-but-i-never-had-any-fun-all/) [Carl Yastrzemski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-yastrzemski/) > [I loved the game. I loved the competition. But I never had any fun. I never enjoyed it. All hard work all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-yastrzemski/i-loved-the-game-i-loved-the-competition-but-i-never-had-any-fun-i/) [Carl Yastrzemski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-yastrzemski/) > [I was a gymnast my whole life. I mean, I'd go to Starbucks and people would be like, 'Are you going to the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mckayla-maroney/i-was-a-gymnast-my-whole-life-i-mean-i-d-go-to-starbucks-and-people/) [McKayla Maroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mckayla-maroney/) > [The truth is, gymnastics is a beautiful sport that has allowed me to grow and learn invaluable life lessons: sacrifice, dedication, discipline. Eventually, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/the-truth-is-gymnastics-is-a-beautiful-sport-that-has-allowed-me-to/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I've always had an undeniable love for gymnastics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-always-had-an-undeniable-love-for-gymnastics/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I've said before, 'gymnastics is abusive,' but now I know it's not the sport that's abusive - it's the culture that was created and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-said-before-gymnastics-is-abusive-but-now-i-know-it-s-not-the/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I think gymnastics can be a really brutal sport. I don't think it's supposed to be a brutal sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-think-gymnastics-can-be-a-really-brutal-sport-i-don-t-think-it-s/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [Gymnastics was my worth - it was my life - and I hated myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/gymnastics-was-my-worth-it-was-my-life-and-i-hated-myself/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [Gymnastics has taught me so many lessons, and I couldn't be more grateful for everything that I've gone through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/gymnastics-has-taught-me-so-many-lessons-and-i-couldn-t-be-more/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I have said that gymnastics can be abusive and brutal. That was my experience. I felt trapped in a world where authority figures were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-have-said-that-gymnastics-can-be-abusive-and-brutal-that-was-my/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I am who I am today because of a lot of the things I've learned in gymnastics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-am-who-i-am-today-because-of-a-lot-of-the-things-i-ve-learned-in/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [How I've always felt is that the fun in gymnastics got taken away from me too soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/how-i-ve-always-felt-is-that-the-fun-in-gymnastics-got-taken-away/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) ## More by Katelyn Ohashi > [I've been told I looked like I swallowed an elephant or a pig, whichever was more fitting that day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-been-told-i-looked-like-i-swallowed-an-elephant-or-a-pig/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [There was a time where I was on top of the world, an Olympic hopeful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/there-was-a-time-where-i-was-on-top-of-the-world-an-olympic-hopeful/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [My teammates and my coaches have all allowed me to step into my individuality and not be defined by just being a gymnast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/my-teammates-and-my-coaches-have-all-allowed-me-to-step-into-my/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [You can still get results without abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/you-can-still-get-results-without-abuse/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I've had two shoulder surgeries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-had-two-shoulder-surgeries/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [How I've always felt is that the fun in gymnastics got taken away from me too soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/how-i-ve-always-felt-is-that-the-fun-in-gymnastics-got-taken-away/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I feed off the audience a lot, their energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-feed-off-the-audience-a-lot-their-energy/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [Whenever I had to move away from my dad, it was so hard; like, I would cry myself to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/whenever-i-had-to-move-away-from-my-dad-it-was-so-hard-like-i-would/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I have always wanted my routine to spark joy for all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-have-always-wanted-my-routine-to-spark-joy-for-all-people/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I was compared to a bird that was too fat to lift itself off the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-was-compared-to-a-bird-that-was-too-fat-to-lift-itself-off-the/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [In life, we are told to do or be so many different things and expected to fit so many different expectations; I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/in-life-we-are-told-to-do-or-be-so-many-different-things-and-expected/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [All I can do is go out there and do my best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/all-i-can-do-is-go-out-there-and-do-my-best/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [Women are 'expected' to have skinny waists yet still be voluptuous. People surrounding us tell us we need to eat but then look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/women-are-expected-to-have-skinny-waists-yet-still-be-voluptuous/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [I would have never guessed I have, like, senators reposting me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-would-have-never-guessed-i-have-like-senators-reposting-me/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [When picking my original music, Tina Turner was someone I wanted in my routine because of the strong impact she has had on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/when-picking-my-original-music-tina-turner-was-someone-i-wanted-in-my/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) [Explore all 73 Katelyn Ohashi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I loved the competition floor. And I thought, 'Gymnastics is literally the only thing I have.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katelyn Ohashi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but-deep-down-i-loved-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but-deep-down-i-loved-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/katelyn-ohashi-9363_competition_the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but_928005.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The joy had been ripped away from me, but deep down, I loved the competition floor. And I thought…” — Katelyn Ohashi", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Katelyn Ohashi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The joy had been ripped away...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but-deep-down-i-loved-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/the-joy-had-been-ripped-away-from-me-but-deep-down-i-loved-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```