She has competed in three Olympic Games as an artistic gymnast and in 1996 won a gold medal as a member of the "Magnificent Seven" U.S. women's gymnastics team. Dominique Dawes talks with Gayle about her career, life as a retired athlete and her new role in the 2008 Olympic Games.
Growing up in Silver Springs, Maryland, Dominique says she was picked on for being small and muscular, and it wasn't until she discovered gymnastics that she came out of her social shell. "In the gymnastics gym, being short, being muscular and having that squeaky voice—for some reason—were all assets to becoming an Olympic gold medalist," she says.
From age 6 to 23 Dominique gave her life to her sport. After three trips to the Olympics and becoming the first African-American female gymnast to win an individual medal in the Olympic Games, Dominique says she was ready to move on to a different role in life. "I don't have to wear a leotard to impact the world anymore," she says. "I can actually do it by sharing my Olympic journey and the joys I had in the sport and also open up about some personal struggles. And I can help a young person or help an adult realize more with their lives."
As a motivational speaker, Dominique is helping boost young girls' self-esteem by sharing her struggles of being picked on as a child. "That has truly become a second passion in life now, motivational speaking and touching people's lives that way," she says. Dominique will also be using her voice and life experience to help report on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games for Yahoo! Sports. "I'm considered an expert, and I am thrilled," she says. "My competitive career is over, and I am happy with that. I've done so much, from motivational speaking and coaching—I even have a motivational CD out for young people. Now I am working with the media, and this is a thrill for me."
As for a female gymnast to watch out for at the 2008 Games, Dominique says 16-year-old American Shawn Johnson is poised to make a big splash. "This girl is talented—she physically has what it takes and mentally has shown that she can withstand any amount of pressure, and she is going into these Olympic Games as a heavy favorite," Dominique says.
