worth all the treble... reely!

When you have a fantastic day shopping, it’s hard not to burst out into dance.

The Fashionista Dancer ft. Simone Loysen for Rince & Repeat’s ‪#‎WhereWeDance‬.

Věra Čáslavská, Mexico City, 1968

Born in 1942, Czech gymnast Věra Čáslavská dominated gymnastics in the 1960s.  She  won a total of 22 international titles, including seven Olympic gold medals in individual events, more than any other gymnast.  Only Micheal Phelps has won more individual Olympic gold medals.

Two months before this photo was taken, Soviet tanks rolled into Czechoslovakia, ending the temporary political liberalization of Prague Spring.  Věra was well known for her support of the democratization movement, as well as her opposition to the Soviet invasion.  Her political position endangered her ability to participate in the Mexico City games but at the last minute she was granted permission to travel by the government.  Once in Mexico, Věra’s performance was excellent and she won the individual vault, uneven bars, and all around.  She initially appeared to win gold in the floor exercise until the judges upgraded the preliminary score of Soviet gymnast Natalia Kuchinskaya, creating a tie.  In the end, Věra won three gold medals and two silver medals in Mexico City.

For two individual medal ceremonies, floor and beam, the Soviet anthem played and Věra silently looked down.  Her quiet protest of the Soviets led the government to force her retirement from gymnastics and restrict her travel, work and sports participation.

In the late 1980s, pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) led to the Czechoslovakian government granting Věra permission to work as a coach.  After the 1989 end of communism in Czechoslovakia, Věra fully entered public life again. She became an advisor to President Václav Havel and Honorary President of the Czech-Japan Association.  After leaving the President’s Office, she was elected President of the Czech Olympic Committee and was appointed to the IOC membership committee. 

Okay so here’s a shoutout/appreciate post for Ms. Simone (@sheerimperfection on insta)

So this is late but better late than never!! A shoutout to this LOVELY gal for counting me off a the Delaware Feis a couple weeks ago. People always give me weird looks because I get counted off at feis, but what they don’t realize is I am partly deaf/hard of hearing in my left ear which makes it EXTREMELY hard for me to hear the music. I LOVE dancing and I wouldn’t trade it for the world and the fact that I pretty much can’t hear out of my left ear isn’t stopping me. But Simone was extremely courteous and gave me a shoulder tap when it was time to go and she was a sweet heart all around. So a HUGE shoutout to her because she’s perf.

I CAN DO ANYTHING. I HAVE AMBITION. I WILL MAKE IT.