Bio

Chellsie Memmel has been in a gym since the day she was born. In the beginning, you would find her hanging out over Mom or Dad’s back while they coached. As soon as she started walking she was taking Parent & Child Classes, then Tiny Tumblers on up. She competed compulsory levels from four to seven years of age and began optional gymnastics at age seven. Chellsie was a Tops National Team member from age six to nine. She became an elite at the age of ten.

Chellsie Memmel is the oldest of three daughters to Andrew and Jeanelle Memmel, both of whom were All-American gymnasts and won full college athletic scholarships. Andy was a gymnast at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Jeanelle competed for Centenary College in Louisiana. Chellsie Memmel, like fellow US teammate Nastia Liukin, is coached by her father, Andy. The Memmels own M&M Gymnastics in New Berlin, WI, where Chellsie trains. Her sisters Mara and Skyler both have done competitive gymnastics as well. Mara currently coaches at M&M Gymnastics, and Skyler is in the Junior Olympic program and hopes to become an elite gymnast.

Chellsie was born and raised in West Allis, Wisconsin. Her parents made a very determined effort to keep Chellsie’s life as normal as possible. They’ve always made time for her to enjoy her hobbies and other activities. She enjoyed reading, crafting, biking, swimming, snowmobiling and sledding as well as hanging out with friends and going to school events.


She attended school through 2003. She then became home schooled for a year so she could train and prepare for a spot on the 2004 Olympic Team. Two months before the Olympic Trials, she broke her foot and was denied the chance to compete at the 2004 Olympics and was named as an alternate athlete. Chellsie went right back into high school her junior year. Balancing training and school was difficult, but she did both very well and graduated with honors.

Chellsie burst into the spotlight in 2003 when she was named to the Pan American Games team and won five medals, including the team and all-around gold. As an alternate to the 2003 World Championships Team, she was cast into the lineup after injuries and illness of three team members. Memmel ended up playing a vital role in securing the team gold, earning the highest all-around marks of any team member during team finals. She went on to tie with teammate Hollie Vise as the World Uneven Bars Co-Champion. For her outstanding 2003 season, Memmel was named the 2003 TOPs Co-Athlete of the Year with Carly Patterson.

At the 2005 World Championships, Memmel became the first U.S. woman to win the all-around gold medal since 1994 when Shannon Miller won her second straight title (in 1991 Kim Zmeskal also won the title). She also finished second in both the uneven bars and balance beam. Chellsie tied for USA Gymnastics Women's Athlete of the Year in 2005. At the 2006 World Championships, Chellsie helped her team earn the silver medal. She had to withdraw from finals due to a shoulder injury.

In 2006, Chellsie was part of the World Championships Team winning a silver team medal.  She was leading in the all-around competition but withdrew from finals due to a shoulder injury.  She ended up having surgery to repair her rotator cuff and labrum in early November 2006 and rehabbed for most of 2007.

Chellsie was one of the 10 finalists for the Women’s Sports Foundation 2006 Sportswoman of the Year. She was also nominated twice for the prestigious AAU Sullivan Award in 2003 and 2005.  It honors outstanding amateur athletes in the U.S that show the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and strong moral character and is known as the "Oscar of Sports Awards".  She was part of the United States Olympic Committee’s 2003 USA Women’s Gymnastics Team of the Year and the United States Olympic Committee’s November 2003 Athlete of the Month. Chellsie was one of the 3 finalists for Gymnast of the Year by International Gymnast in 2003. In the September 2006 issue of International Gymnast magazine, Marta Karolyi had this to say about Chellsie: “Chellsie is extremely well-balanced, very ambitious and, most likely, the best competitor I‘ve seen in my 35 years of coaching. Her gymnastics is impressive for its originality. . . the confident manner in which she presents herself.”

Chellsie made the Olympic Team in 2008 and competed in Beijing, China where she took home a silver medal in the team competition.  She was only able to compete on the bars because she broke her ankle two days after arriving in China.

Chellsie really enjoys competing for the United States, which allows her to travel the world. Some of the countries she has been to include: England, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, China, Brazil, Greece, Australia, and Japan.

With all of these accomplishments, Chellsie has remained the same. She is a very humble, hard working, dedicated gymnast who loves to compete for her country.

 

2008 Olympic Team Silver Medalist
2006 World Silver Medal - Team
2005 All Around World Champion
2005 World Silver Medalist - Beam
2005 World Silver Medalist - Bars
2004 Olympic Team Alternate
2004 World Cup Champion Bars
2003 World Champion Bars
2003 World Champion Gold Medal Team
2003 Pan American Games All-around Champion

 

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16760 W Victor Rd.
New Berlin, WI 53151

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