Gabby Douglas

34 Pages·2014·31.58 MB·English

by  Jameson Anderson

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BOOKS IN THIS SET
Miguel Cabrera Colin Kaepernick Danica Patrick
Gabby Douglas Peyton Manning Aaron Rodgers
Kevin Durant Johnny Manziel Mike Trout
LeBron James Clay Matthews Russell Wilson
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Jameson Anderson

Checkerboard
Library
An Imprint of Abdo Pub1lishing
Jameson Anderson
www.abdopublishing.com
www.abdopublishing.com
Published by Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55439. Copyright © 2015 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all
countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
the publisher. Checkerboard Library™ is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing.
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota.
052014
092014
Cover Photo: Getty Images
Interior Photos: Alamy pp. 7, 15, 19; AP Images pp. 1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 17, 23; Corbis p. 21,
Getty Images pp. 25, 27, 29
Series Coordinator: Tamara L. Britton
Editors: Megan M. Gunderson, Bridget O’Brien
Art Direction: Neil Klinepier
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014935999
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anderson, Jameson.
Gabby Douglas / Jameson Anderson.
p. cm. -- (Awesome athletes)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62403-338-4
1. Douglas, Gabrielle, 1995- --Juvenile literature. 2. Women gymnasts--United States--Biography-
-Juvenile literature. 3. Women Olympic athletes--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. 1.
Title.
796.44092--dc23
[B]
2014935999
2
table of contents
Olympic Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Highlight Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Difficult Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
First Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Moving Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
A Second Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
The Road to Gold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Flying Squirrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Record Setter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Olympic Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Next Olympics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Websites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
3
olympic star
It was the 2012 Summer Olympics in London,
England. Gabby Douglas was in the lead in the women’s
gymnastics all-around competition.
There are four events in the all-around. Douglas had
wowed the crowd in the first three. After competing
on the vault, uneven bars, and balance beam, she still
kept the lead. During her floor exercise routine, Douglas
tumbled and twirled across the mat. The world followed
along on television.
After her routine, Douglas waited for her results
in London’s 02 Arena. When her score of 62.232 was
displayed, Douglas was in shock. She didn’t know how to
react until her coach explained it to her. She had won!
Douglas had become just the fourth US Olympic
gymnast to earn the all-around gold medal. Plus, she
and her fellow US Olympic gymnasts had taken gold as a
team just two nights earlier. At 16 years old, Douglas was
on top of the podium and at the top of her profession.
44
Douglas was the first gymnast
in US Olympic history to win
gold in both the individual
all-around and team events!
5
H i gHl i gHt
re e l

In June, Douglas
Gabrielle Christina Douglas began
won gold at the
Victoria Douglas training for the 2016
Douglas moved Olympic Trials. She
was born in Virginia Olympics. They will
to Iowa to train was named to the
Beach, Virginia. be held in Rio de
with coach US Olympic team.
Janeiro, Brazil.
Liang Chow.
1995
2012
2010 2013
2004 2012
2011
In August, Douglas
Douglas was named
won two gold
Virginia’s State
Douglas helped
medals at the
Gymnastics Champion.
her team win
Summer Olympics
a gold medal
in London, England.
at the World
Championships
in Tokyo, Japan.
66
H i gHl i gHt
gabby
re e l
douglas
DOB: December 31, 1995
Ht: 4’11”
Wt: 90
Events: Balance beam,
floor exercise,
uneven bars, vault
Favorite Events:
Balance beam and
floor exercise
CarEEr StatiStiCS:
Olympic Medals: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 gold
aWarDS:
tOaesleysnmo cCpihaicot eitcedea P marew asasn rFdde famolrla -Faleermo auatnhledle agtetoh olldeft mteh:ee 2 d0Ya1e3laisrt:: 22001122
World Championships team gold medalist: 2011
77
Difficult start
Gabrielle Christina Victoria “Gabby” Douglas was
born on December 31, 1995, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Her parents are Natalie Hawkins and Timothy Douglas.
Gabby’s father wasn’t around much when she was
young. She was raised mostly by her mother and her
older siblings, Arielle, Joyelle, and Johnathan.
Gabby’s early life was difficult. Not long after she was
born, doctors discovered that Gabby had a rare blood
disorder. She suffered from branched chain ketoaciduria.
The disorder made it hard for Gabby’s body to take in
enough protein.
Eating was difficult for Gabby when she was an
infant. Because of this, she was very small. Eventually,
she outgrew the disorder. By six months old, Gabby was
able to eat comfortably. She began to gain weight and
become healthy.
Gabby is the youngest of four children in
her family. Her brother and sisters enjoy
attending her events.
8