Inducted: 2007
Born: Los Angeles, California-USA

Valerie Zimring is another example of bad luck leading to great luck. She suffered a stress fracture in her back just as her talent was being recognized. She could no longer have the aspirations of being a great artistic gymnast, but she found that she could still perform on the other side of the gym with the rhythmic gymnasts; in fact, she could out perform them. So began the fruitful competitive life for Valerie in competitive rhythmic gymnastics.

Alarming Beginning: Valerie Zimring was fast becoming a talented Artistic gymnast even though she had been learning and training for only three years; however, at about 11 years of age, she found that she had a stress fracture in her back. She had just made the Class I level in Artistic gymnastics. Not to be diverted from a world she had come to love, she turned to Rhythmic gymnastics and became a shining star. In a 1985 “IG Interview” article, Valerie agreed that the change to rhythmic gymnastics was a blessing since she thought, that while her FX & BB were coming along, she never really had the aggressiveness that is required of tumbling and performing tricks. She said, “ . . . I think I’ve done a lot better in Rhythmic than I would have done in Artistic.” You can’t keep a good woman down is a phrase that isn’t used enough. USAG Junior Rhythmic Championships: Gold-AA, Rope, Ball and Clubs, (1978).  Olympic Games: Team member-rhythmic gymnast, Los Angeles, California-USA, (1984). World Championship: Team member-rhythmic gymnastics, Munich, Germany, (1981); Strasbourg, France, (1983). Valerie was a member of the U.S. Rhythmic National Team from 1979-85. USAG National Rhythmic Championships: Gold-AA & Hoops, (1984). Education: B.A at UCLA, (1989); M.A. in program-dance, UCLA, (1991). Keeping Perspective: In response to a question from the aforementioned “IG” interviewer about what she enjoyed best about her Rhythmic travels. Valerie told of a competition in Rio (de Janeiro), Brazil in 1980. “ . . . I loved it there because I love the beach. After the competition, the team was scheduled to tour the country. The tour was cancelled, and we had to stay on the beach.” She related this story suggesting that the beach was just fine with her. She also told of her love for travel but she likes the U.S. best. An admirable trait that Valerie exhibits is that she is extremely complimentary about her coach, Valla Svirsky, 1997 USGHOF Inductee. “Alla helped me not only physically doing the exercises and in choreographing the routines, but mentally she’s always been there for me to prepare myself before competition. She was always very positive, telling me to prepare myself before competition.” She attributes her success to Svirsky’s ability to overcome the mental barrier that sometimes kept her from doing her best.  General: Zimring-Schneiderman has worked for NBC Sports as a technical advisor during two Olympic Games (1988, 1996) and has done television commentary work. Family: (m) Ross Schneiderman. Children: Zach and Will, both of whom have begun their teen-age lives.

Sources: International Gymnast’s “IG Interview”, (1985) that was shared by Jerry Wright, author of Gymnastics Who’s Who, 2005 and USAG Press Release dated May 9, 2007. Introduction and formatting by Dr. Larry Banner, Web Manager.