Dominique Dawes
Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Dominique Dawes, introduced to the world of gymnastics at age 6. She isn’t just one of the “Magnificent Seven,” she was the one who took home the all-around medal, and therefore the first American gymnast to win for 3 consecutive Summer Olympics after she came out of retirement to compete within the 2000 Sydney Games. There’s no one of African descent before her had won a gold medal at the Olympics for gymnastics. Since then, Dawes has only become more of a national asset as she appointed as a sports advisor to the U.S. government. Outside of gymnast competition, Dawes’s career has varied from motivational speaking to Broadway’s one-time stint, appearing as Patty Simcox in Grease. Serving as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and as part of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Active Schools” campaign, Dawes worked to encourage young people to be active. She also became co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in 2010. Dawes served an inspiration to the untold number of girls with her success when she entered the USA Gymnastics’ Hall of Fame in 2005. Dawes fully realized the power of the example she had set when she watched Halle Berry win an Academy Award (Berry win a Best Actress Oscar, for 2001’s Monster’s Ball and was the first African American too ) Dawes remained involved in gymnastics during the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games by providing coverage. It was 2012 when she was able to see Gabby Douglas became the first African American to win an individual gold medal in the all-around competition.
Dominique Dawes
Brooke Bennett
Brooke Bennett, an American swimmer, was only sixteen years old when she qualified for the 1996 Olympics. Bennett had lost her grandfather a few days before winning big at Atlanta 1996. Despite what happened, she won the gold, but her success overshadowed by swimming star Janet Beth Evans’ last appearance at the Games in 1998. During the 2000 Olympics, she won two more gold medals but was unable to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. She had two shoulder surgeries in 2001 that put an end in her swimming career. She retired from competitive swimming and decided to coach high school, opened and runs the Brooke Bennett Swim School, and swims marathons. Bennett is now a mother of two and was busy running the said swim academy.
Brooke Bennett