Alyssa Erin Beckerman (born January 23, 1981) is an American former gymnast and balance beam national champion.

[1] In 1998, Beckerman moved from New Jersey to Ohio to train with coach Mary Lee Tracy at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy.

[7] According to Beckerman, Tracy "controlled every element, in and out of the gym" creating a competitive culture of anxiety and silence.

[8] Beckerman was a silver medalist on bars at the 1998 US National Championships and placed second in the all-around at the 1998 Ecoair Gymnastics Cup.

[4][8] By the end of Beckerman's elite career, she had suffered nine broken bones, undergone two surgeries, and developed bleeding ulcers from overuse of anti-inflammatory drugs.

[1] Beckerman competed on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) intercollegiate gymnastics team from 2001 to 2003 while pursuing a degree in sociology.

[2] During the 2002 season, Beckerman was UCLA's anchor on balance beam, averaging 9.77 over the year and winning individually six times.

[2] On September 11, 2003, at the beginning of her senior year, Beckerman was dismissed from the UCLA team by coach Valorie Kondos Field.

"[8] She said:"When [a coach] has so much control, it puts a young person in a mindset that the coach has more authority than anyone else in their life - that they should put all their faith in them...There's a fine line between...where the culture is healthy, to a culture of silence...[In elite gymnastics, gymnasts] were not allowed to speak...That does a lot to you, psychologically.