GYMNASTICS
Brody Malone’s Father Reads Emotional Letter to Olympic Gymnast That Will Move You to Tears
During NBC’s broadcast of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday night, July 29, John Malone shared a heartfelt message for his 24-year-old son and members of Team USA as they competed in the men’s artistic all-around gymnastics final. Team USA ended up winning the bronze medal, ending a 16-year medal drought.
The emotional clip, which showed John reading from a piece of paper as photo montages appeared on the screen, was also shared on social media. Watch the powerful video below:
“He was born with his mother’s smile and with my fire for competition. After he broke his arm climbing out of his crib when he was two, we got him into gymnastics so he could get all of his energy out,” he continued.
Footage then showed Brody tumbling as a child, and John recalled how he and his wife Tracey met during college in an equestrian program — which meant all of their children “were on horseback by kindergarten.”
The couple raised their family in Cedartown, Ga., which John considered “a great place for Brody to grow up.”
“That was until 2012 when we lost our Trace to cancer,” John said of his late wife and Brody’s mother, Tracey Malone
According to John, the loss seemingly forced his eldest son to refocus his energy.
“Like me, Brody doesn’t like to show his emotions too much,” he said. “So, I think he buried himself in competition and let all of his pain out through sports.”
“Competing at the Olympics was a dream Brody and his mom had together. I know Tracey’s watching over Brody still and I can see her smile and hear her laugh and feel her joy,” John said before becoming visibly emotional.