Everybody knows that Gabrielle Douglas is talented and adorable, but there’s far more to the Olympic gymnast than meets the eye.
She was briefly homeless
When Douglas was just a tot, her family was briefly homeless. She explained in her memoir, Grace, Gold & Glory, that her entire family resided in an old van for a few months.
She owes her sister a lot
Douglas has her sister to thank for her career. In 2012, Arielle Hawkins told USA Today that she convinced her mom to let little Gabrielle join gymnastics despite Hawkins having suffered a broken wrist due to a back handspring.
She’s naturally flexible
When Douglas was little, her older sister referred to her as “Flexi Lexi” because her body could contort in such unimaginable ways.
She’s a runway star
Douglas works the runway just as well as she works the beam! Here, she is pictured at the Heart Truth Red Dress Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week.
She has a huge celebrity crush
…on Ian Somerhalder! Hardly a interview goes by in which Douglas doesn’t mention her favorite celeb, who she once again claimed to adore when chatting with Access Hollywood in 2013.
She’s faced unfair criticism
Douglas’ memoir states that a coach told her to get a nose job when she was just 12 years old. That is just one of many negative critiques she’s received regarding her appearance.
She’s experienced racism
In addition to being criticized for her appearance, Douglas has sadly experienced quite a bit of racism. During her early days of gymnastics training, she was actually called “slave,” as she recounted in an interview with Oprah.
She felt unsupported by her dad
Douglas’ father has largely been absent from her life, and, suffice it to say, she’s experienced a lot of resentment. She admitted in her memoir that when she saw him in the stands at a competition shortly before the 2012 Olympics, it was the first time she’d seen him in over two years.
She has a major sweet tooth
Douglas constantly posts pictures of her favorite foods on Twitter, and nearly all of them are sugary. She has, however, been known to post pictures of pizza and French fries as well. Recent favorites include banana split ice cream cake and strawberry banana crepes.
She loves Chick-fil-A
In addition to pizza and sweets, Douglas adores Chick-fil-A. In her memoir, she admitted that she nearly quit gymnastics in order to get a job at Chick-fil-A. Fed up just a few months before the 2012 Olympics, she told her mom that she could live off the $14,000 she’d won at a competition, along with her fast-food earnings.
She’s a Patriots fan
Douglas loves the New England Patriots and frequently raves about her favorite team on Twitter.
She’s incredibly modest
When she snagged a gold medal at the Olympics, Douglas had no idea what a trailblazer she was (in case you forgot, she was the first ever black woman to capture gold as an all-around individual), as she recalled in her memoir. She still thinks of herself as just another hardworking gymnast.
She loves reality TV
Not only is Gabrielle Douglas featured in a reality show but she also watches them herself! In an interview with Ebony, she admitted that her favorite reality star is The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s NeNe Leakes.
She’s a reality TV natural!
Douglas is super excited to make her reality TV debut. She hopes that she will continue to inspire young women, who will get a closer look at the sacrifices required for Olympic glory.
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