10 amazing things you need to know about Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas remains a vital part of U.S women's gymnastic history. Despite missing out on a chance to compete for an all-around title in Rio, she's far from finished -- and we're realizing just how incredible she really is.
Here are 10 things you need to know about Gabby Douglas:
1. She was four years old when she did her first tumbling pass
Douglas got her start in gymnastics by way of a cartwheel at four years old. Her older sister taught her how to do her first one, and she hasn't stopped tumbling ever since.
2. She spent over 18,000 hours training for her first Olympics
Vanity Fair calculated that Douglas spent over 18,000 hours training before she went to her first Olympics in 2012.
3. She has her own line of leotards
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4. She helped set a record for most cartwheels performed at the same time
Douglas brought more than 700 young gymnasts together in Pittsburgh to set a world cartwheeling record.
5. She has a really supportive family
In fact, they moved from coast to coast to support her gymnastics career after her mom vowed to never miss a single competition.
6. She was the first black gymnast to win an individual gold medal
Douglas made history in 2012 when she became the first black gymnast to win an individual gold medal, as well as the first woman of color of any nationality to win the event.
7. She produced her own Lifetime movie
At only 20 years old, Douglas has accomplished more than just an unbelievable gymnastics career. She and her mother, Natalie Hawkins, executive produced her life story for the Lifetime Channel.
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8. She's not even close to being finished
"I just feel like I haven't really reached 100 percent of my ability," Douglas said during the U.S. Olympic media summit in March. "And I really want to do that: to go all out and do bigger gymnastics than I did before."
9. She prefers rainy weather -- but here's why:
Douglas' mom used to tell her that raining was "God's manifestation; a big day's waiting to happen." Rain was falling on the day Douglas won the all-around gold medal at the London Olympics, and she texted her mom saying: "It's raining. You know what that means!"
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10. She supports athletes from all sports
According to her Instagram account, Douglas is a big fan of basketball stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant:
