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Gabby Douglas

by Zoey

This is Gabby after she won an Olympic gold medal (http://blog.newscom.com/2012/08/the-best-15-pictur (Brian Peterson))
This is Gabby after she won an Olympic gold medal (http://blog.newscom.com/2012/08/the-best-15-pictur (Brian Peterson))

Have you ever heard of my hero? Her name is Gabby Douglas. She is a 20 year old African American gymnast who made world history at the age of 16. If you watched the Summer Olympics in 2012, then you have most likely heard of, or seen Gabby on TV. She was the first African American gymnast to win a gold medal in a televised event like the Olympics. The secret to Gabby's success is not only about good training, and staying fit. Gabby's hard work, courageousness, and her ability to stay strong, both mentally and physically are the real reasons why Gabby was so successful. Gabby also got a very early start with gymnastics. She taught herself how to do many of the fun tricks she can do today. Here is a little more information on Gabby Douglas.

Gabby Douglas is a very hardworking, and persistent person. When Gabby was only six years old she started to train six days a week so she could be in the Olympics. Because Gabby did so much training and practice on the bars, when she was jumping from the high bar to the low bar it looked like she was flying. That's how Gabby earned her nickname "Flying Squirrel." In order for Gabby to get proper training for the Olympics, she had to leave her home and family so she could practice with Coach Liang Chow who was known for getting gymnasts into the Olympics. Gabby moved all the way from Virginia to Iowa so she could train with him at the age of 14. Most 14 year old girls would not move all the way across the United States just so they could go train with a better gymnastics trainer. Also, Gabby taught herself how to do a one handed cartwheel at the age of four, and a full twisting double backflip at the age of 12. This really shows how hardworking Gabby really is, and that she was ready to do whatever she had to do to achieve her goal of being in the Olympics.

Gabby Douglas is a very courageous young girl. In addition to leaving her family and her home, which was highly populated by African American people, she went to a place where there were not many African American people. In order for Gabby to learn new tricks, she had to teach herself how to do many of the floor tricks that she knows, and has demonstrated in a few televised events. When Gabby wanted to learn something new, she had to teach herself and do trial and error. Imagine doing a backflip without knowing what you are supposed to do. That must take a lot of guts! Gabby also had to fight of negative comments and many threats. One example of that is after Gabby won the Olympics, people were saying her hair looked terrible, and that she should really make herself look more presentable! Gabby was so shocked she said "I just made world history and you are worrying about how my hair looks!" So many people told Gabby that she would never be able to make it to the Olympics, but she sure proved them wrong!

Gabby Douglas is also a very strong person. It is truly amazing how strong she is because Gabby doesn't exactly have a "big" body being 4'11. So even though Gabby is so small she is still one of the strongest gymnasts. That's pretty impressive. Gabby also works super hard during her training sessions and is always pushing herself to do her best by training six days a week. Lastly, Gabby left everything she loved to pursue her dreams. Most teenagers wouldn't be able to leave their family just so they could get better at something even if it was their passion. You can see that Gabby is not only physically strong, but she is also very strong mentally, which is just as important.

Gabby Douglas is my hero because she proves that anything is possible if you try your hardest, stay brave no matter what, and stay strong. Many teens are inspired by Gabby and want to grow up to be just like her. An example of an inspired teen is Simone Biles. She is an African American gymnast and is trying to get a gold medal in the Olympics. This shows that Gabby has really made a big impact on many gymnasts. All in all, Gabby Douglas is a great role model and a truly amazing individual.

Page created on 5/18/2016 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 5/18/2016 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Bibliography

Elspeth. Gabby Douglas.

Fred. "Gabrielle Douglas, the courage to pursue destiny." [Online] Available http://www.examiner.com/article/gabrielle-douglas-the-courage-to-pursue-destiny.

Huffington Post. Gabby Douglas.

Robin. "Gabby Douglas Shows What a Teenager can Accomplish." [Online] Available http://robingoldstein.net/gabby-douglas-shows-what-a-teenager-can-accomplish/.

. "Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas".