Bannon's Gymnastix

Bannon’s Gymnastix is a gym in Houston, Texas, which Simone trained at between the ages of six and 17. Bannon’s serves as a key symbol representing Simone’'s growth as a gymnast. Even as her training grew far more intense, her competition schedule became far more difficult, and she began supplementing her time at Bannons’ with other elite training camps, Bannon’s remained the center of Simone’s gymnastics life. The sheer quantity of time that she spent at the gym—several hours of training nearly every day for years—made its integral emotional significance to her almost inevitable. Since Bannon's was also the place in which Simone strongly developed her relationship with Aimee, the gym also represents and reinforces the bond between Simone and her coach.

Ultimately, Bannon's is the center of a conflict because Aimee eventually quit the gym due to problems with...