The Olympics are here! If you haven’t been watching the Olympics or noticed the site makeover, then it is time to get your head out of the sand. The United States Women’s Gymnastic team made headlines four years ago when they literally swept the competition and became known as the Fierce Five. One of those returning members is Gabby Douglas and even though most eyes are on Simone Biles, Douglas is still extremely talented and that’s why she is this week’s spotlight.
Douglas started training when she was just six years old after her sister convinced her mother to enroll them in classes. By age 8, Douglas won the Level four all-around gymnastics team and at age 14, she moved to Iowa to train full-time with her coach, Liang Chow. In 2008, Douglas made her national debut at the US Classic but failed to place high enough to compete in the Olympics that year.
Two years later was a standout year for Douglas. she competed in her last year of Juniors World Championships where she won silver before moving to Seniors.  She won a share of the US’s gold medal at the 2010 Pan American games.  In 2011, Douglas won gold with the team at the World Championships. The next year, 2012, was her first chance to get on the Olympic stage in London.  Before the Olympics, she helped the team win gold at the Pacific Rim Championships and won gold, silver, and bronze at the U.S. National Championships. At the Olympic trials, she was technically the only one who was guaranteed a spot after placing first in the all-around ranks.
As part of the Fierce Five in 2012, Douglas helped win gold with the team. She also won the individual all-around gold medal for the US. Winning that gold medal made her the first woman of color to win that event. She was also the first American to win in both individual and team all-around events.
After the 2012 Olympics, Douglas was already setting her sights on Rio. She moved to Los Angeles to be with her family in 2013 before moving back to Iowa in 2014. It was really unclear for a while if Douglas was still going to be a part of the US National team. After leaving her coach in Iowa, Douglas shopped around for a new coach before settling on Kittia Carpenter who also trained her teammate, Nia Dennis.  Once she competed in a few team camp events, Douglas was added to the team again. She was joined by former teammate, Aly Raisman and Rachel Gowey. In 2015, Douglas won gold with the team for the all-around and an individual silver in the all-around at the World Championships.
This year has been a whirlwind for Douglas. She participated at the 2016 City of Jesolo Trophy where she won the all-around and won gold for the all-around at the AT&T American Cup. She was named to the 2016 US Gymnastics Team and saw every little girl’s dream come true when Mattel created the Gabby Douglas Barbie.
She was named the Associated Press’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and in 2013 and won two BET awards. She immediately became a huge media personality and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2012 with her teammates and on Time Magazine. Douglas appeared on a Corn Flakes box and authored her own book, “Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith”, was the subject of a Lifetime movie and currently has her own reality show. Â Most importantly, she has become an advocate for racial equality and bullying especially in the gymnastics world.
