I was watching a doco on Foxtel just before the Olympics began about the Chinese gymnasts' training regime.

I was shocked, crying, angry and swearing at the telly.

These poor kids get snatched from their families at the age of 3 and are trained day and night. They are punished (caned) for doing a wrong landing or not doing the best tumble etc.. They hang from rafters like on the monkey bars for 10's of minutes.They are allowed to go home for one day every 6 months and have a huge burden on their shoulders at such a young age...they need to win an olympic medal and this then saves their family from poverty. I was disgusted. If they failed, they are shunned.

This one kid who was not a very good gymnast and about 7yo got to go home for a day and his mother had to drag him (literally drag) back to the training centre. he was kicking and screaming not wanting to go back and his mother was telling him that "a life is not gained through playing games". here is this poor 7yo not being able to play games or see his family. These kids stay in a room with about 10 bunks and have very little free time.

If my child really wanted to do whatever sports he/she was interested in and had real potential i would sacrifice parts of my life to allow them to live their dream. But definitely not move interstate without DH or allow my child to live interstate in some training school without us there.

Chloe, you always come up with great discussion threads.