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Kerri Strug became one of the best-known faces of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics when she landed her vault on an injured ankle, ensuring that the U.S. women would win their first ever Olympic gold medal. Twenty years later, we asked her to recount what she remembers best about that day. There was so much energy in that building, right from the start. I remember marching into the Georgia Dome after the warm-up session and seeing all the American flags and hearing chants of Go USA! We were wearing the American flag on our leotards and warm-ups. There was so much pride. We started out on uneven bars and our first competitor, Jaycie Phelps, had one of her best routines. She stuck her dismount and after that, everyone followed suit. You could feel the energy heighten. Our coaches were typically pretty stoic. As gymnasts, were taught from an extremely young age that you dont get too excited until the meet is over, and even then, theres always another competition. Theres not much celebration in gymnastics. But our coaches were genuinely excited.The competition only got better from there. On our next rotation, we went to the balance beam. If there is an event you are going to falter on in a high-stakes competition environment, its beam. But not on that day. Floor was next, and its a great event to have home-court advantage. The crowd was clapping along to our music. We had one little mishap, but back then, six gymnasts competed in each event and you got to drop one score. So we had five great scores on floor and only one more event to go. If we held on, we would become the first U.S. womens team to win the Olympic title.Then we got to the vault. And I dont know what happened. From the get go, we had issues. Normally, [U.S. coach] Bela Karolyi was out on the floor with us. Hes a big guy who can move the vault and boards and mats quickly. You only get three minutes to warm up, and he wasnt out there, so we didnt get through our normal warm up. Dominique Moceanu and I were at the end of the lineup, so we didnt get to warm up the vaults we would compete, which we always did. At this level of competition, that should have had no bearing on how we performed. We said to each other, Weve done this a thousand times. Well be fine. But looking back, I wonder. Did that do something to our psyches? Did it cause us to fall?I wasnt watching when Dominique took her first vault. But I heard a huge gasp from the crowd. When I looked up at the jumbo screen, I saw that she fell. But I wasnt worried. I knew she would correct it on her next vault. But she did not.I dont know if it was a case of monkey see, monkey do. We both had enough height and shouldnt have had a problem landing our vaults. Wed landed them thousands of times. But we both opened up too early and sat on our bottoms.I knew something was wrong with my left leg. When I fell on my first vault, I couldnt believe it. Is this really happening? My legs were already wrapped prior to competing because Id been dealing with shin splints and ankle pain, but this was different.When I set up to take my second vault, I heard the words Bela was saying to me, the words they spoofed on Saturday Night Live: You can do it. You can do it. But I didnt focus on them. After all those years of training and coaching and hard work, thats all he could say? No advice on technique? Just You can do it. Looking back, I believe he knew I needed to be on automatic pilot. I knew what to do. I could do it. He didnt want me to think. He wanted me to just do it. Today, his words make sense.I think people want me to say there was a special, magical moment during the vault that came next. It might be disappointing to hear, but there wasnt. It was just a moment of thinking, You have to do this. Youve done it a million times. Do it again. In that moment, all the years of doing one more vault when I was too tired or sick or didnt want to perform another rep paid off.As I started running toward the vault, my ankle felt displaced and unstable. I remember thinking I was going to trip and fall on my face. I dont remember the vault itself, but when I landed, I didnt think Id done anything special. I was supposed to land the vault. Anything else would have been unacceptable.I wanted to be Mary Lou. I wanted to be remembered for standing on top of the podium smiling from ear to ear and winning gold in the individual all-around, just like her. So it was awesome when I heard we won the team gold, but I was already thinking ahead to the individual all-around, which I then missed because of the ankle injury. After competing at the 1992 Games, I set my goal to make it to 1996 and win individual medals.When I was 6, I decided I wanted to go to the Olympics. Back then, it wasnt about team medals or the character traits gymnastics gives to you. But when you get older and become a mom, you realize how critical those are. I still wonder if I hadnt gotten hurt, would I have won more medals? Would I have won the all-around? Thats just human nature.When I realized my Olympics was over, I was so disappointed. I was moping a lot. My dad kept telling me that, in his mind, Id won seven gold medals. You have to be content with what transpired. Were so proud of you, he said. As a parent now, I get it. He was finding the silver lining. But as a gymnast, your world is very little. Youre in a bubble. I couldnt see it.Twenty years later, I wish I had basked in the glory more. Instead of standing in the medal ceremony thinking, Why did I get hurt? Why did this have to happen to me? I should have been thinking, Wow. We won team gold. Let me enjoy this attention. Now that Im a mom, its all I would want for my daughter.Twenty years later, with more experience, I have a different perspective about that day. It really was magical. Before that day, I was known as the girl who couldnt put it together when it counted, who worked hard and always faltered. It is extremely significant that I put it together when it counted most.Now, when Im in situations I dont know if I can deal with, I tell myself, youre a lot stronger than you think. You have to push yourself day in and day out. You never know how one moment will impact you. I can look back now and say it was awesome I was able to pull that vault off.That vault changed me and changed my life for the better. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.stitchedjerseys.us/ . 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