Go Gabby Douglas!

Young Olympian Gabby Douglas made history by becoming the first African-American female gymnast to win the all-around title and take home the gold. This is also the first time the U.S. women have ever won the team gold and the individual all-around gold in the same Olympics.

“I just want people to know it took a lot,” she said. “It took a lot of hard days in the gym and determination, passion and drive. Gold medals are made out of your sweat, blood and tears, and effort in the gym every day, and sacrificing a lot that you have to do.”

And sacrificing she did.  Gabby showed promise at a very early age and at 14 her mother made the tough decision to allow her to move from their home in Virginia Beach, Va., to Des Moines, Iowa—living with a host family in order to be closer to her coach Liang Chow. This proved to be a champion move because today Gabby celebrates the Olympic Gold.

In a teary eyed interview on Fox Sport, former Olympic Champion Dominique Dawes who was the first African American gymnast to win a gold medal with her team back in 1996, praised Gabby for her win and stated now she has to take down from her website that she is the only African American woman to ever win the gold.  Gabby Douglas is second Africa American woman to ever make the Us Olympic Team and take home the gold and the first to win not only the gold team medal but the gold individual all around.   “It’s so meaningful to be the first African-American to win the all-around gold medal in the individual and making the history books is definitely one of the perks,” she said. “It just feels amazing.”
The other perks are a special invitation by Barack Obama to visit the White House and her face on the front of a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes box.  Kellogg’s is a sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee. (see tweet from the USA Gymnastics sent a tweet with a photo of Douglas holding the box.)