Weeks after being crowned the first African American gymnast at the Olympics, Gabrielle Douglas sat down with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah’s Next Chapter. Oprah visited Gabby’s second home in Virginia, where she lived for 18 months during training. For the first time, Gabby’s biological family (her mother and brother) and second family came together for an exclusive interview with Oprah.
In the interview, the gymnast revealed some details about her life. from her mother keeping her from talking to her father, almost leaving gymnastic because she was bullied, and even the controversy her hair caused at the Olympics.
Read a couple of highlights from the interview below:
Being bullied at her gym:
I felt like I was bullied and isolated from the group, and they treated me not how they would treat the other teammates…..I was getting racist jokes. I was being isolated from the group. I’d come home at night and cry my eyes out because ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ One of my teammates was like, ‘Can you scrape the bar?’ and they were like, ‘Well why doesn’t Gabby do it? She’s our slave.”
On fighting through the pain:
“I wanted everyone to know it’s still possible for anyone really. I wanted to make them know to never give up and always keep fighting, because though times may be tough, the sacrifices do pay off, so just keep pushing towards your dream and just love it at the same time and enjoy it.”
On contacting her father Sgt. Douglas:
“I don’t think it would be for the best” and “We’re kinda distant,” she said. She also revealed that her mother made her change her cell number so that her Dad has no way to reach her.
On the hair controversy:
“I searched it, just to see what they were talking about. I put Gabby Douglas and then it first says ‘Gabby Douglas hair’ like the first one on Google.”
Watch the interview below:
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