Quick Chat: Courtney Kupets Carter
May 12, 2020 | Gymnastics, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Courtney Kupets Carter had a sweet and fun Mother's Day at home on Sunday. Even if we all weren't mostly on lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mother's Day would have been spent around the house, she said during a Quick Chat over the phone Monday morning.
The Georgia gymnastics legend and head coach, and her husband Chris, have three young children, and any trip away from home, she said, is more work than any mom should have to deal with on her special day.
Kupets Carter also talked during our Chat about the 2004 Olympics (she won a bronze medal in the uneven bars and the U.S. team took silver), going from Athens, Greece, to Athens, Ga., her husband's cooking and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: For starters, how was your Mother's Day?
Kupets Carter: It was awesome. It was a beautiful day and we were able to eat outside and just have fun with the kiddos. We wouldn't be taking them anywhere anyway because it would put more work on me, but it was a great, really fun day.
Frierson: As a mom of three young children, I would imagine the silver lining amid everything the world is going through right now is that you can spend so much more time with your family.
Kupets Carter: For sure. I think at first it was hard to transition, though, trying to work and I'd hear them and want to go play with them and how do I make this all work? It got better after the first three weeks and I've been doing it for a long time now.
I sit and work at a window where they go play outside, so I can see them and be part of their days in that way. I've loved being able to go and sit with them at lunchtime and things like, so it's been very special.
It's one of the things that we did with our team this year was always finding what did go well with this? Obviously, there's a lot of hard things that are happening through this but at the same time, we're trying to look at the positives. My family has been the best part of it, for sure.
Frierson: This was supposed to be an Olympic year so I'm wondering, as an Olympian, do the memories come flooding back every time the Games come back around?
Kupets Carter: It's so funny, because of this, the Olympic Channel or NBC Sports, there was a channel that was doing some Olympic streaming, so I actually a couple of weeks ago sat down and watched the All-Around competition (from the 2004 Olympics) and I think it was the first time I've ever seen it other than some YouTube clips.
I had a flood of emotions, to be honest with you, and I didn't expect that to happen. I was in a lot of pain during my Olympics because of my hip and I was also at the pinnacle of something I'd worked so hard for, as well. Just the excitement around it and reliving all of those memories was interesting for me, very emotional [laughs].
When Olympic years come around, you get excited for the athletes in contention for the Olympics, but I don't think I ever fully reminisce about it. But because the NBC channel did that, I did get to do that.
Frierson: What is it like to go off to college after that, because for so many athletes the Olympics is, as you said, the pinnacle? You went from the Olympics to Georgia, where you had this incredible career, so what was it like to go from one to the other?
Kupets Carter: It was absolutely incredible. I am a huge advocate for going and competing in college. For those athletes that can go on and make quite a bit of money, their careers have been great, but that's not for everybody and not everybody will make that kind of money. That's why I'm a huge advocate for Olympic athletes, especially gymnasts, to pursue that college career afterward.
Not only do you get your degree paid for but you get to finish out gymnastics in such an amazing, fun and enjoyable way. It doesn't take all the pressure away, it's not easy; I think for Olympic athletes, especially gymnasts, they might think that college is an easier level. You can take some skills out and make your routines a little bit easier, but it's not easy by any regards. You have to put in just as much work.
The change in it and what makes it a little bit more difficult is competing 13 weeks in a row and keeping your body up for that long a period of time — that's very difficult. And then to work with a team becomes so exciting.
The Olympics, our team was together for probably two weeks before; we knew each other here and there and it was great, but to bond with a team and live with them and train with them and do classes and study with those teammates, that becomes really impactful. Those are memories and a group of friends that you'll have forever.
I loved every bit of being able to go from Athens, Greece, to Athens, Ga. It's a nice little picture of words, too, and to be able to enjoy my gymnastics career and really see it out to the end. Yeah, I tore my Achilles again, a different one, so that was a bump in the road, but that's what gymnastics is. You're faced with so many adversities no matter what those adversities look like for each gymnast, there are tons of them, but being able to compete in a sport that you've done since you were a little kid, knowing that it's only four more years and it's a slow, gradual transition out of gymnastics in those four years.
I've loved every moment I've had of being able to compete at the highest level of the Olympics and compete at what I think the NCAA has created for gymnastics, which is a great environment for gymnasts.
Frierson: What do you miss most about competing or about the day-to-day life of a being a gymnast?
Kupets Carter: My favorite thing when I was a gymnast was to be able to train, learn new skills and kind of accomplish those moments. You'll see some of the gymnasts in those routines stick that landing or have one of those picturesque routines where everything goes correctly, and that doesn't happen a lot. You'll see a routine that might look perfect but the gymnast might feel differently about it.
When you have those moments of, I did that skill exactly how I wanted and it felt amazing, those are the moments I loved as a gymnast, really being able to accomplish that and know that you did it — because it didn't happen that often. That's exactly what I set out to do and I just did it. ... Those are the moments that you just crave more and more of, that's the adrenaline rush that you don't get often.
Frierson: Has that translated into something else athletically post-gymnastics?
Kupets Carter: It's funny, I tried to figure that out right after I finished and it became running. I haven't gotten to do it near as much now after having children, but I did want to run a half-marathon — oddly enough, I got injured and had surgery right before the first one I signed up for. I did finally complete a half-marathon and it was great.
I had a couple of goals for that, to finish in under two hours and don't stop. I did it under two hours by like three seconds or three minutes, I can't remember which one — it was really close — but I did stop a couple of times at the end, there. That gave me a little bit of the adrenaline, the accomplishment, the working hard at something, feeling out of breath and pushing yourself to the limits. I would want to that again, really go after that half-marathon.
Beyond that, my activity is mainly around my kids now. I feel like my workouts go from racing my children around, putting a shirt on, or cleaning up their toys; my movement level has increased dramatically more from home activities than anything else [laughs].
Frierson: What's the best meal you've ever eaten?
Kupets Carter: I have a couple of things that come to mind, actually. One recently, Chris will make a chicken curry, a yellow chicken curry, and that's my favorite thing for him to cook. He has this thing called a sous vide and he puts the chicken in the water and heats it to a certain temperature so it makes the chicken amazing. He adds some broccoli and potatoes, so I've loved him making that and we have that more often now.
I think the most special meal overall was the first dinner-date me and Chris ever had. It was in Las Vegas, at this nice restaurant that I always forget the name of, but it was a great location and I can remember everything about it. It was a winery type restaurant and it was absolutely amazing, and to have that memory of that first dinner-date with him and now seven or eight years later we have three kids and are having at-home meals and enjoying ourselves — that was a very special dinner.
Frierson: You've seen a bunch of different parts of the world through gymnastics, so is there one place you want to go back and visit at some point?
Kupets Carter: I need to go back to Athens, Greece. When we went I was 18, so we did get to choose one afternoon when we were free, we could go to the Parthenon and check out the sites or we could go shopping — and we chose shopping. I kick myself now when I think about what I missed out on. My parents and my older brother, they went to those places and seeing the pictures they have, I just think now, I need to go back to experience that and just have those fun memories from that.
The other place I'd love to go back to, that I absolutely enjoyed, was Scotland. Just the greenery — flying in I remember it completely looking green and beautiful. We didn't go to that many places when we were there and I'd love to go back and explore the countryside, especially since Chris is from England, it wouldn't be that far of a trip once we go and visit his family again.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Courtney Kupets Carter had a sweet and fun Mother's Day at home on Sunday. Even if we all weren't mostly on lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mother's Day would have been spent around the house, she said during a Quick Chat over the phone Monday morning.
The Georgia gymnastics legend and head coach, and her husband Chris, have three young children, and any trip away from home, she said, is more work than any mom should have to deal with on her special day.
Kupets Carter also talked during our Chat about the 2004 Olympics (she won a bronze medal in the uneven bars and the U.S. team took silver), going from Athens, Greece, to Athens, Ga., her husband's cooking and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: For starters, how was your Mother's Day?
Kupets Carter: It was awesome. It was a beautiful day and we were able to eat outside and just have fun with the kiddos. We wouldn't be taking them anywhere anyway because it would put more work on me, but it was a great, really fun day.
Frierson: As a mom of three young children, I would imagine the silver lining amid everything the world is going through right now is that you can spend so much more time with your family.
Kupets Carter: For sure. I think at first it was hard to transition, though, trying to work and I'd hear them and want to go play with them and how do I make this all work? It got better after the first three weeks and I've been doing it for a long time now.
I sit and work at a window where they go play outside, so I can see them and be part of their days in that way. I've loved being able to go and sit with them at lunchtime and things like, so it's been very special.
It's one of the things that we did with our team this year was always finding what did go well with this? Obviously, there's a lot of hard things that are happening through this but at the same time, we're trying to look at the positives. My family has been the best part of it, for sure.
Frierson: This was supposed to be an Olympic year so I'm wondering, as an Olympian, do the memories come flooding back every time the Games come back around?
Kupets Carter: It's so funny, because of this, the Olympic Channel or NBC Sports, there was a channel that was doing some Olympic streaming, so I actually a couple of weeks ago sat down and watched the All-Around competition (from the 2004 Olympics) and I think it was the first time I've ever seen it other than some YouTube clips.
I had a flood of emotions, to be honest with you, and I didn't expect that to happen. I was in a lot of pain during my Olympics because of my hip and I was also at the pinnacle of something I'd worked so hard for, as well. Just the excitement around it and reliving all of those memories was interesting for me, very emotional [laughs].
When Olympic years come around, you get excited for the athletes in contention for the Olympics, but I don't think I ever fully reminisce about it. But because the NBC channel did that, I did get to do that.
Frierson: What is it like to go off to college after that, because for so many athletes the Olympics is, as you said, the pinnacle? You went from the Olympics to Georgia, where you had this incredible career, so what was it like to go from one to the other?
Kupets Carter: It was absolutely incredible. I am a huge advocate for going and competing in college. For those athletes that can go on and make quite a bit of money, their careers have been great, but that's not for everybody and not everybody will make that kind of money. That's why I'm a huge advocate for Olympic athletes, especially gymnasts, to pursue that college career afterward.
Not only do you get your degree paid for but you get to finish out gymnastics in such an amazing, fun and enjoyable way. It doesn't take all the pressure away, it's not easy; I think for Olympic athletes, especially gymnasts, they might think that college is an easier level. You can take some skills out and make your routines a little bit easier, but it's not easy by any regards. You have to put in just as much work.
The change in it and what makes it a little bit more difficult is competing 13 weeks in a row and keeping your body up for that long a period of time — that's very difficult. And then to work with a team becomes so exciting.
The Olympics, our team was together for probably two weeks before; we knew each other here and there and it was great, but to bond with a team and live with them and train with them and do classes and study with those teammates, that becomes really impactful. Those are memories and a group of friends that you'll have forever.
I loved every bit of being able to go from Athens, Greece, to Athens, Ga. It's a nice little picture of words, too, and to be able to enjoy my gymnastics career and really see it out to the end. Yeah, I tore my Achilles again, a different one, so that was a bump in the road, but that's what gymnastics is. You're faced with so many adversities no matter what those adversities look like for each gymnast, there are tons of them, but being able to compete in a sport that you've done since you were a little kid, knowing that it's only four more years and it's a slow, gradual transition out of gymnastics in those four years.
I've loved every moment I've had of being able to compete at the highest level of the Olympics and compete at what I think the NCAA has created for gymnastics, which is a great environment for gymnasts.
Frierson: What do you miss most about competing or about the day-to-day life of a being a gymnast?
Kupets Carter: My favorite thing when I was a gymnast was to be able to train, learn new skills and kind of accomplish those moments. You'll see some of the gymnasts in those routines stick that landing or have one of those picturesque routines where everything goes correctly, and that doesn't happen a lot. You'll see a routine that might look perfect but the gymnast might feel differently about it.
When you have those moments of, I did that skill exactly how I wanted and it felt amazing, those are the moments I loved as a gymnast, really being able to accomplish that and know that you did it — because it didn't happen that often. That's exactly what I set out to do and I just did it. ... Those are the moments that you just crave more and more of, that's the adrenaline rush that you don't get often.
Frierson: Has that translated into something else athletically post-gymnastics?
Kupets Carter: It's funny, I tried to figure that out right after I finished and it became running. I haven't gotten to do it near as much now after having children, but I did want to run a half-marathon — oddly enough, I got injured and had surgery right before the first one I signed up for. I did finally complete a half-marathon and it was great.
I had a couple of goals for that, to finish in under two hours and don't stop. I did it under two hours by like three seconds or three minutes, I can't remember which one — it was really close — but I did stop a couple of times at the end, there. That gave me a little bit of the adrenaline, the accomplishment, the working hard at something, feeling out of breath and pushing yourself to the limits. I would want to that again, really go after that half-marathon.
Beyond that, my activity is mainly around my kids now. I feel like my workouts go from racing my children around, putting a shirt on, or cleaning up their toys; my movement level has increased dramatically more from home activities than anything else [laughs].
Frierson: What's the best meal you've ever eaten?
Kupets Carter: I have a couple of things that come to mind, actually. One recently, Chris will make a chicken curry, a yellow chicken curry, and that's my favorite thing for him to cook. He has this thing called a sous vide and he puts the chicken in the water and heats it to a certain temperature so it makes the chicken amazing. He adds some broccoli and potatoes, so I've loved him making that and we have that more often now.
I think the most special meal overall was the first dinner-date me and Chris ever had. It was in Las Vegas, at this nice restaurant that I always forget the name of, but it was a great location and I can remember everything about it. It was a winery type restaurant and it was absolutely amazing, and to have that memory of that first dinner-date with him and now seven or eight years later we have three kids and are having at-home meals and enjoying ourselves — that was a very special dinner.
Frierson: You've seen a bunch of different parts of the world through gymnastics, so is there one place you want to go back and visit at some point?
Kupets Carter: I need to go back to Athens, Greece. When we went I was 18, so we did get to choose one afternoon when we were free, we could go to the Parthenon and check out the sites or we could go shopping — and we chose shopping. I kick myself now when I think about what I missed out on. My parents and my older brother, they went to those places and seeing the pictures they have, I just think now, I need to go back to experience that and just have those fun memories from that.
The other place I'd love to go back to, that I absolutely enjoyed, was Scotland. Just the greenery — flying in I remember it completely looking green and beautiful. We didn't go to that many places when we were there and I'd love to go back and explore the countryside, especially since Chris is from England, it wouldn't be that far of a trip once we go and visit his family again.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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