History-making 16-year-old gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas was on TV with Jay Leno and David Letterman. Sat and chatted with Oprah Winfrey. Met First Lady Michelle Obama.
And today she threw out the first pitch at the Mets game. Now that’s impressive.
“I threw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game. This is like major so I’m nervous,” Douglas admitted beforehand, noting her minor league throw “went good, it bounced up and he caught it. It was okay for my first time” and in Queens “everyone tells me just throw the ball hard so I’m going to throw hard.”
No bounce this time. Douglas, who shared throwing the pitch with a corporate sponsor, received a warm, loud ovation from a small pre-game crowd. Her pitch reached home, a little wide and that brought a better response.
Douglas said she hopes to compete again in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro -- and she hoped to be introduced to David Wright, a fellow Virginian (“I want to meet him,” she admitted). With her gold medals “in a safe place,” she was at the Mets game as part of the team’s Citi Field Kids event, sharing her story with kids from the YMCA.
The first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics, Douglas wants her story of hardship growing up to be an inspiration.
“I wanted everyone to know my story, know where I came from, know my background,” she said. “It was not easy. I had to face a lot coming through this journey, a lot of sacrifices, difficulties, challenges, even injuries. So I wanted everyone to know it still is possible in any sport for anyone. I wanted to make them know, never give up and just keep fighting because though times may be tough, sacrifices are not in vain and they do pay off.
“So just keep pushing toward your dream and just love it at the same time and enjoy it.”
Behind the Scenes at an Essence Photo Shoot
Bonus pic of McKayla visiting the HIMYM set:
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I miss the Fierce 5. Let's relive the Olympics please.