Gymnast Chellsie Memmel, now 32, is mounting an Olympic comeback

Chellsie Memmel's return to gymnastics didn't start with a plan to get back into competition. The former Olympian was just doing something for herself.

"It wasn't something that I knew I needed, truly needed, until I started doing it more," she said.

Getting back into the gym, she said, "for even just those one or two hours, I had complete control over what I was doing, and I was enjoying it — and that was huge."

When Memmel retired from Olympic gymnastics in 2012, she was among the most decorated U.S. gymnasts in history. In 2005, she was named the world all-around champion, and competed with Team U.S.A. in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Now 32, and a mom of two, Memmel is mounting a comeback as she trains for this summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo. She announced her intentions last July on her YouTube channel alongside her father — and coach — Andy Memmel.

"I guess it's time to admit that this is a comeback," she said in the video.

But before even considering a return to the Olympic balance beam, Memmel spent a year conditioning her body, which she called a "journey in itself."

"It's a hard sport. It's hard on your body. It's tough mentally. But it's also something that I just truly enjoy doing," she told Day 6 host Brent Bambury.

Oldest Team USA gymnast in decades

Gymnastics is a sport long dominated by young athletes. With a seemingly endless pool of up and coming talent, the age bias runs deep within the sport, Memmel said.

For example, gymnasts are expected to go for the big leagues — or choose a different path — early on in their career.

"That starts pretty much when you hit 18, if you're not planning to do it in college," said Memmel. "That has been the norm and [it's] what people hear all the time."

"I still get messages from kids … who are like, 'Coaches, they're telling me there's really not much left for you in the sport. You should start thinking about coaching.'"

But that doesn't sit well with Memmel who says if you enjoy gymnastics, you can compete in it.

If Memmel makes the Olympics, she will be the oldest Team U.S.A. gymnast in 60 years, but not the oldest to compete at the Games. At the age of 45, Oksana Chusovitina, a gymnast for Uzbekistan, has qualified for the same Games Memmel is vying for.

"She is just out of this world, and [it's] phenomenal that she's still doing high-level gymnastics," Memmel said.

'It doesn't have to be just for kids'

Memmel admits that balancing a more than 15-hour-per-week training schedule with the demands of parenting isn't always easy.

Her body, she adds, doesn't bounce back like it used to. Recovery days are longer, and she is still recuperating from an ankle injury last October.

"That wasn't really something that I had to really pay much attention to last time [I competed], because you could just bounce back pretty easily," she said.

It's all documented — the good and bad — in a YouTube series. 

"I don't want to create an illusion that everything is great all the time because that's not real life ever — and it's not gymnastics," Memmel said.

But with age comes wisdom, and a mindset that Memmel said helps her in training. Even on the bad days, Memmel said she is better able to focus her thoughts and overcome challenges than she could as a young athlete.

With her bid for an Olympic return, Memmel hopes that she can inspire others to take up the sport.

"It doesn't have to be just for kids," she said, noting gymnastics have been her preferred form of fitness — one that she hopes she can continue into her 60s and 70s.

"I hope I can still be flipping in some capacity at that point because it's something that I truly love doing."

Written by Jason Vermes. Produced by Laurie Allan.