Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), issued the following statement on Gabrielle "Gabby" Douglas winning the gold medal in all-around gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), issued the following statement on Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas winning the gold medal in all-around gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
“Gabby Douglas made Olympic history by becoming the first African-American to win the gold medal in all-around gymnastics, and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual and team all-around. Gabby, nicknamed the ‘Flying Squirrel’ for her amazing performances on the balance beam, has become an inspiration to the next generation of young girls, proving that with dedication and hard work, anything is possible.
“Gabby’s historic feat follows in the footsteps of Dominique Dawes, who was part of the famed ‘Magnificent Seven’ women’s gymnastics team that won gold in Atlanta in 1996. She joined eight decades of African-Americans to ascend to the top podium at the Summer and Winter Olympics. This tradition goes back to August 3, 1936, when Jesse Owens won the 100-meter sprint in Berlin, the first of his four gold medals.
“Congratulations to Gabby and all of her teammates on Team USA who are representing our country in London!”
###
U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.
