Reader Q&A: 4/3/2001 Betty Okino

SportsHollywood franchise player Betty Okino answers reader questions about acting, gymnastics, and (usually) about her measurements or boyfriend status (you animals).

Dear Betty: Hello! I just love watching you perform, You have such grace and it is apparent by your big smile that you truly love performing for all your FANS. I just happen to be one of them ! I have wanted a autograph from you for some time now just didn't know where to get it . Seems you read my mind and answered my prayers. Sometimes athletes forget where they came from and the people who have cheered for them from the beginning. Glad to see you still have two feet planted firmly on the ground. God bless, much success in your career and journey through life. Your Fan, George Stimson

BETTY: George: What can I say? THANK YOU for writing! You and everyone here do so much for my confidence, and make me feel truly privileged and honored to be able to perform in sports and acting. God bless! Can you write me before auditions, to keep me inspired?

E-MAIL BETTY WITH YOUR QUESTIONS

Hi Betty!!! I would be honored to have an autographed pic of you, preferably in a bikini that shows the woman that you have grown into...You are a beautiful lady, and if I were 35 years younger, I would definitely make a trip to where you are... Thank you for your time, take care and keep that pretty smile coming. -- Jake

BETTY: Sorry, no bikini shot... But would it help you to know that as I answer this I'm wearing bikini underwear underneath my clothes?

Dear Betty: Bela Karolyi is one of my most favorite people in the world. He gets a lot of bad things said about him, about abuse and things. Is any of that true? What did you think of Joan Ryan's book? Also, I saw you on MTV's undressed and you are a great actress. I hope you do more shows. -- RinkyMac

BETTY: First off, I LOVE Bela. He changed my life. You can read a column I wrote in tribute to him here. As for Joan Ryan, I was featured in her book and I'm very upset with the finished product. She misrepresented her project to me and has set the sports of gymnastics and figure skating back many years. Watch for my next column, where I tell the REAL truth (as opposed to the "truth" in her book), on gymnastics, Bela, Joan, and journalistic ethics... or the lack of them.

Betty: Question... Why did you leave IGI? And how was Todd Gardner as a coach? I saw him at a congress and his girls were awesome, nice form, etc. Could you also send an autographed picture to me? Thanks, Kevin McMahon

BETTY: Todd was a wonderful coach! The only reason I left was that my only goal then was the Olympics, and IGI at the time did not have the things necessary (facilities, Olympic experience) to make it to Barcelona. The people were great, though!

Betty: I was wondering if you'd be interested in joining us at the Gymnastics Gossip Board for an hour of Q&A with our posters. GGMB is a message board devoted to dishing about gymnastics (and gymnastics personalities) and I really think you'd have a lot of fun..well, if you have the time, we'd love to have you on! -- Doc Marten

BETTY: It sounds great, but as you can see by the (in)frequency of my columns here, I'm just too all-over-the-place at the moment to do it right now. I've been acting on a show at the WB Network for a month now, and I performed in musical numbers at the Grammys, the Image Awards, and in several commercials, and on top of that I'm in the month-long process of moving... so the Internet stuff was neglected a bit. Definitely in the future, though!

Hi Betty!! My question is, were any of the scenes you did in the "Undressed" episodes uncomfortable for you to do?? Also, where can I get a autographed picture of my favorite gymnast and now favorite actress "Betty Okino?!?"

BETTY: Obviously, the scenes in which I was the most uncomfortable were the ones where I was not fully undressed. I felt those scenes were against the nature of the show. From now on I will only do clothed scenes if I feel they're important to the script and true to the character.

If you'd like an autographed photo, just e-mail me your address and I'll send one out to you. (The same for anybody else who wants an autographed photo -- just click on the e-mail button, above.)

Betty--How tall are you now? How much did you grow after you retired? Just curious, because so many former gymnasts look like munchkins but you seem pretty tall in your pictures. Thanks, Tracy

BETTY: I'm 5'6". As you can see by the picture at right, it made me easy to pick out on the gymnastics team! And it's ironic because I was too tall as a gymnast, and now as an actress I'm too tall for Wizard of Oz II.

Hi Betty! Betty, could I have some used leotards? -- brbkc

BETTY: No. Would you like some old sweat pants from my-ex-roommate's fiancee? They accidentally got packed in the move with my laundry.

Betty: I guess the most important question is what effect has acting had on your social life....and are you a single person? -- James Rich

BETTY: Thanks to acting, I DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE. It's halted it. I have yet to hear of an exact-replica Betty from the Bizarro Universe appearing in this dimension, so yes, I'm still just a single person.

Hi Betty! I just wanted to let you know I think you were one of America's best gymnasts. I am glad to see you have made a wonderful transition out of the gym and emerged as a sassy young woman. Oh, and one more thing, are you ever going to do any gymnatics commentating? I think the networks could use a change. -- Ms. J. Gawron

BETTY: I'd love it! Now we just need to find a network that will COVER gymnastics.

Betty...out of all your FX routines which one was your favorite and why? -- Christian

BETTY: The 1990 Goodwill Games. The music there suited me perfectly. I got so tired of girls performing to "Eye of the Tiger."

Betty: As a gymnast myself I always in my little free time surf the net, and go look at gymnastic stuff. I saw your page, and knew I had to check it out. You were at the 1992 Olympics, and there is something I have always wondered about them. First of all what was wrong with the Chinese leotards. I heard that they got a dedution for them. What was wrong with them? If not for the deduction, would they have finished 3rd and "us" meaning your team finish fourth? -- Nick

BETTY: The Chinese team's leotards were cut too high, so they kept riding up their behinds. Now, if the judges were MALE they might not have had a problem. They might haved GAINED points... and NO. We would still have placed ahead of them. We were a determined team. We would have done whatever it took to get that medal.

Dear Betty, Did Bela cover up Kim Zmeskal's injury the '92 games because he didnt want people to think or know he pushed his gymnasts to hard sometimes even you? Do you still have contact with Kim, Shannon, Kerri, or Dominique? -- Adam and Cory

BETTY: Bela covered up our injuries, but not because he was worried about what critics would say. Bela is too strong to worry about that. He was concerned that the JUDGES would know, and then they would have been watching for signs of injury instead of watching our routines. We were there to win, not gain sympathy and lose.

Okino Archive

Betty Okino 1990 U.S. National Championships: Silver Medalist (AA), Gold Medalist (Beam) and Event Finalist (5th Bars, 4th Floor) 1991 World Championships: Silver Medalist (Team), Bronze Medalist (Beam) and 4th AA 1991 American Cup: Champion and Gold Medalist (AA, Vault, Bars) 1992 World Championships: Silver Medalist (Bars) and Event Finalist (8th Beam) 1992 Olympics: Bronze Medalist (Team) and Event Finalist (6th Beam)