Gabby Douglas’ rags to riches story has been nothing short of spectacular. In the blink of an eye, the gymnast went from an unknown athlete to an international superstar who broke records and won two gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London. But if that wasn’t proof enough that Douglas finally “made it,” it surely came Monday night when she sat down for a chat with our country’s first lady, Michelle Obama, during a visit to “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”
Obama was unable to see Douglas’ wins in the Women’s Gymnastics Team Finals or the Individual All-Around Finals, so when the resilient teen joined her onstage, both she and Leno congratulated her on her Olympic wins.
“I don’t even deserve to hold this,” Leno joked as he handed back the gold medal to Douglas, who became the first African American to win the Individual All-Around title.
During her interview, Douglas talked about her famous Olympic win, saying that she’s just now embracing her victory.
“Yeah, at first it really hadn’t sunk in on the podium, but everyone is gonna tell me that it was gonna sink in when I got home and back to the states. So, it’s definitely sunk in now,” said Douglas.
The rather charming sports star admitted that it’s been a little strange adjusting to the limelight.
“I think it’s very different, and when I mean ‘different,’ it’s in a better way — I mean, I never thought I would be doing the show with the first lady, or even you, Jay!” she said.
“Even you too, Jay!” the first lady emphasized.
And just what did Douglas do after her Olympic wins? The All-American thing; she ate at McDonald’s.
“After the competition, I splurged on an egg McMuffin at McDonald’s,” Douglas revealed, laughing.
And though Obama is the nation’s ambassador for healthy eating, she couldn’t help but to laugh along with Douglas.
“You’re setting me back, Gabby,” the first lady joked, to which Douglas replied jokingly, “sorry.”
The entire interview is nothing short of charming and it’s nice to see that Douglas has found a new ally and friend in the first lady. You can watch the rest of the interview here and check out some of the first lady’s other superstar friends after the cut. – nicholas robinson
