Gabby’s Story Is Bigger Than Sports
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By DERON SNYDER
Truth be told, we weren’t that inspired by Olympians like Michael Jordan and Carl Lewis. While they dominated their sports like few have ever done, it’s commonplace to see African Americans conquer basketball and track and field. This is by no means a putdown, but seeing Jordan and Lewis excel in their chosen arenas was as stimulating as hearing Jay-Z master the rap game.
The same can’t be said of extraordinary teen gymnast Gabby Douglas, the first African American to win the individual all-around Olympic gold medal. Watching her fly through the air, twisting and flipping over the various apparatuses, triggers a flood of emotions that ballers and sprinters simply can’t unleash (through no fault of their own).
That’s why Gabby’s impact will extend far beyond sports. Jordan and Lewis served as role models for countless basketball players and track stars who followed, just as Jordan and Lewis had a number of predecessors to emulate. Gabby had Dominique Dawes, the three-time Olympian who in 1996 became the first female African-American gymnast to win an individual medal.
The number of young black girls who decided to try gymnastics undoubtedly surged thanks to Dawes’ emergence. And there’s likely to be a new wave of interest, now that Douglas has two gold medals and a chance to win more. But just as Dawes didn’t spawn an influx of black Olympic gymnasts, Gabby is unlikely to change the demographics dramatically.
