American artistic gymnast Gabby Douglas was never just known for her finesse on the gymnastic mat. She has inspired the world at such a nascent stage that her 2012 Olympics spectacle led to a Lifetime biopic film in 2014. Named The Gabby Douglas Story, the adaptation demonstrated the magnanimous presence of the Olympian. This was followed by a TV series – Douglas Family Gold. Several wins ensued until they culminated in the 2016 Rio Olympics ‘Fierce Five’ dominance. Since then, she hasn’t been able to make a comeback yet.

But her Paris Olympics dreams are pellucid, and she’s not in any mood to compromise on that. But while she plans for it alongside training at WOGA, some young bucks have surfaced with their love for the gymnastic spearhead. Among them, one fan is following her gymnastic footsteps to make her presence felt.

Syke Blakely, under the tutelage of Gabby Douglas, has become a juggernaut

A fellow gymnast of color, Skye Blakely’s journey has just taken off. Her selection at the 2020 Summer Games Olympic trials came as a reward for her exceptional progress. But an unforeseen injury in a vault warmup shattered her dreams right in front of her eyes. Now, as she prepares for her debut in 2024, Blakely recalls the time when Douglas planted the Olympic seed in her heart. On her Turf’s Instagram page quoted Blakely, who said, “I WAS 7 WHEN (GABBY) WENT TO THE 2012 OLYMPICS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST OLYMPICS WHERE I WAS REALLY OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND AND REALLY SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON”. 

Moving on, the latter part of her statement gave the real reason behind making gymnastics her everyday thing. When Douglas became the first African American all-around champion, that “definitely inspired“ Blakely, who was seven then. Making such giant waves at such a tender age engendered the “I WANT TO BE EXACTLY LIKE HER” feeling in Blakely. Let’s take a look at how she inspired more.

Douglas ignited a fire in many hearts

Shortly after her London Olympics show, Douglas wanted to bring her story as a black American to the fore. To execute that seamlessly, she contributed several personal items to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum still inspires young girls who fail to recognize the power in themselves. Recently, the 2015 World all-around silver medalist became the subject of a presentation as well.

A young student’s project topic was Gabby Douglas, which made way for a beautiful 3D representation of the Olympian in her holy training arena. In response to this heartwarming gesture, the 28-year-old said, “i’m extremely honored. ty. i love you”. These two instances are proof that she has inspired generations to rebuild that confidence and taste success irrespective of skin color.

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