(BLACK PR WIRE) – With all eyes on London in recent days for the 2012 Olympics, U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas made history in several respects. First, she was part of the "Fabulous Five" gymnastics team which earned the U.S. its first Olympic team title in 16 years. Secondly, she became the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. She was the only member of her team to compete in all four events of the gymnastics finals. And most notably, she became the first ever African-American gymnast to win the all-around gold medal.

Gabrielle Douglas was born on December 31, 1995 in Virginia Beach, VA. Her older sister Arielle is a former gymnast and helped influence Gabrielle’s interest in the sport. Gabrielle started formal gymnastics training at six years old, and was already winning competitions within a few years. At 14, she left her hometown to train under Coach Liang Chow. Douglas debuted on the national gymnastics scene at the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, where she placed fourth all-around. She would go on to compete in the 2011 U.S. National Championships, and the 2011 World Championships, where she was part of the gold-winning U.S. team.

It was at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials where Douglas won first all-around and secured her spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic team. Her phenomenal performance on the uneven bars at the trials earned her the nickname of “Flying Squirrel,” a nickname which will surely stick with her for years to come.

Black PR Wire salutes Gabrielle Douglas for accomplishing so much at such a young age, and being a groundbreaking role model for future generations of African-American young people. For more information, visit her homepage at www.gabrielledouglas.com.