While fate may not be moving Gabby Douglas’ way currently, 8 years ago, she was en route to be one of the greatest American gymnasts, and if there was someone she would solely credit it to, it would be her mother. ‘She’s always been there‘, Douglas says, and not just been there, Natalie Hawkins still manages the Olympic Champion, and fights for her, just like she did in her early career.

Douglas last competed when she was 20 years old, and as she returns to live with her mother’s word at 28, she’s rigged with back-to-back setbacks. But she still has a couple of months till qualifications starts, and if she somehow remembers her story from her book, Douglas might find the daunting task easy.

Natalie Hawkins – The woman behind Gabby Douglas

Before taking to the International stage, Gabby Douglas was dominant in the domestic circuits, so much so that she would feel ‘stagnant’ because of no competition. The 28-year-old revealed in her book, Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith, that her mother once fought with her trainer because Douglas was just winning and winning on. ‘I grabbed gold at every single one of six or seven meets that season’, she recalls. But she was still frustrated, and it was her mother who came to back her.

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“‘MY DAUGHTER IS BECOMING STAGNANT.’ MOM PEERED STRAIGHT INTO the eyes of the owner of Gymstrada. He didn’t blink. ‘Gabrielle is frustrated because she’s not learning enough skills,’ Mom continued. ‘She needs more'”, a para in the book reads. Douglas was competing at Level 4 in 2004 but she would win easily and thus wanted to learn new skills. The new skills were tougher and were only allowed to older gymnasts, and Douglas wasn’t allowed to do so. However, maybe her trainer’s reply might justify the decision.

Why wasn’t Douglas allowed to try ‘difficult skills’?

Gabby Douglas was training with 8-year-olds, and tired after winning easily, she would look at older gymnasts practicing difficult skills and would want to try the same. But when her mom told the then-trainer that she was becoming ‘frustrated’, the wise man replied that she might burn out too early.

READ MORE: “Do I Look Mean or Something?”: Despite Heartbreaking Fall, Suni Lee Hilariously Addresses Why New Gymnasts Fear Her

“‘I don’t want to give her too much too fast,’ the owner finally said to Mom. ‘That will burn her out early.’“, Douglas writes. The 28-year-old adds that she felt ready to push herself, and the reason behind that, the 3x Olympic Champion says, ‘intuition’. What does her intuition say right now as her chances for Olympic qualification get dimmer and dimmer. ‘Keep fighting’, her mom’s words might ring in her ears.