Gabby Douglas is an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, as well as the first African American to win an individual all-around gold medal. She is also the first African-American woman to win the individual all-around title. Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas was born in Newport, Virginia on December 31, 1995, to Natalie Hawkins- Douglas and Timothy Douglas. She began gymnastics training at the age of six. Gabby won the 2004 Virginia State Championships in Level 4 all-around gymnastics when she was eight years old. She moved to Iowa to train full-time when she was 14 years old. She would go on to win numerous competitions and championships.
Gabby’s other nicknames include Gab, Gabby, and Bri.
Gabby Douglas won the individual all-around gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, when she was only 16 years old.
Gabby Douglas also won gold with Team USA in the same Olympics.
Gabby Douglas was the only competitor in the 2012 Olympics to qualify for the finals of the beam, bars, and individual all-around in her preliminary performances.
Gabby Douglas’ score in all four events during the team finals competition at the 2012 Olympics was higher than anyone else in the event, which helped the team win gold.
Gabby Douglas almost quit gymnastics before making the Olympic team in 2012. She’d decided she wanted to be a normal adolescent.
Gabby Douglas took a break from gymnastics after the 2012 Olympics. She struggled to get back into her gym routine after her vacation.
Gabby was the youngest of four children in her family, which is featured on Oxygen in the TV show Douglas Family Gold.
Gabby Douglas was honored with a Barbie doll.
Gabby Douglas is the author of two books: Raising the Bar and Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith.
Gabby Douglas was given the nickname “Flying Squirrel” by her national team coordinator because of her work on the uneven bars.
Gabby Douglas was the subject of a Lifetime documentary titled The Gabby Douglas Story, which aired in 2014. Along with her mother, she was an executive producer on the film.
Gabby Douglas put in over 18,000 hours of training to prepare for her first Olympics in 2012.
Gabby Douglas competed in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics in 2016. In the team event, she won her third Olympic gold medal.
The Associated Press named Gabby Douglas Female Athlete of the Year in 2012.
Gabby Douglas revealed that she was sexually abused as a teenager by Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics doctor.
Gabby Douglas has a long list of accomplishments, including National Championships in Uneven Bars in 2011 and 2012, All-Around in 2012, and Floor Exercise in 2012.
Gabby Douglas won the World Championships (team) in 2011 and 2015, as well as the Individual All-Around title in 2015.
Gabby Douglas won the American Cup All-Around in 2016.
Gabby Douglas won the Pacific Rim Championships in Team and Uneven Bars in 2012.
