Happy 18th birthday, Gabby Douglas! As a member of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Gabby won gold medals in both the individual all-around and team competitions and became the first African American woman to win each award. She began training in gymnastics at the age of 6 and won her first all-around gymnastics title at the Virginia State Championships when she was 8. She was raised by her parents, Timothy Douglas and Natalie Hawkins, in Virginia Beach, Virginia alongside three siblings, including an older sister named Arielle. She introduced Alicia Keys at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Check out a gallery of photos of Douglas. –Joi Pearson @joipearsonphoto
(Above photo by Keith Cephus Photography for her book cover “Raising the Bar.”)
