There’s a reason why phoenixes are so highly sought after in fables and such. Gabby Douglas is one such phoenix in human form. She is a force to be reckoned with and is rightly called the ‘Fierce Five’ or ‘Final Five’. Having won almost everything in the gymnastics realm, Douglas proved her worth by clinching the Olympic gold medal thrice. Born and brought up in Virginia Beach, Douglas showed glimpses of her gymnastics skills from early childhood. At just three years old, Gabby Douglas started to climb the door frames in her house.
To make things even more interesting, Douglas learned to cartwheel in just a week. Initially, her sister demonstrated the routine and was shocked to find out that Gabby was able to perform the same using a single hand. Such an incident became a tell-tell sign that Gabby Douglas was meant for gymnastics. At the tender age of nine, the little kid had made up her mind about achieving Olympic glory. Well, in the end, she did not only become an Olympic champion but also attained a legendary status. And thanks to her fame, Gabby Douglas currently ranks very high among the richest female athletes.
What is Gabby Douglas’ net worth?
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Over the years, Gabby Douglas’ shenanigans on and off the mat have earned her immense popularity. Quite expected, this successfully garnered the eyeballs of a lot of brands. Renowned brands like Nike, Kellogg’s, Dr. Scholl’s, Beauty Bekerie, WME Sports, and others have signed the US track star as their promoters. Adding up all her finances, Gabby Douglas’ net worth as of 2024 stands at a whopping $4 million.
Apart from her endorsements, Douglas is also the proud author of a couple of best-selling books. Back in 2012, the 3x Olympic gold medalist published her autobiography named ‘Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith’. Surprisingly, the book received unexpected attention, causing it to feature at no.4 on The New York Times Young Adult Bestseller list. Such a warm response prompted Douglas to take another shot at writing as she dropped her second book, ‘Raising the Bar’, in 2013.
After her antics at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Gabby Douglas decided to walk away from the sport. During her hiatus, Douglas became involved with a number of productive ventures. She featured in a number of television shows and was also the winner of a popular reality television series. But her tryst with the entertainment industry was not a new thing. She had previously debuted on the Disney XD show, ‘Kickin It’.
The gymnastics icon came into prominence after launching her own reality show, ‘Douglas Family Gold’, in 2016. It received a huge response from the fans and the show became an instant hit. Later in 2018, Douglas once again made news of her tremendous acting skills in ‘Undercover Boss’. However, that was not all. The multi-talented Gabby Douglas also designed a customized collection of dolls, inspired by herself. She labeled them as ‘Gymnast Barbie’ and, once again, people loved her creativity. Thus, it is no wonder that all these talented acts have made her net worth shoot up. But she would not have the opportunity to weave her all-round creative ideas if not for her legacy inside the gymnastics realm.
Major achievements and the legacy of Douglas
Gabby Douglas started her gymnastics journey as early as six years old. However, she had to wait for two years to taste success. Competing at the 2004 Virginia State Championships, Douglas won the all-around Level-4 title. This was the triumph that pretty much set the course for Gabby Douglas’ future on the right path. Making drastic progress, Douglas slowly became the one to watch out for under the watchful eyes of Liang Chow.
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Her skills soon began to blossom on the national front. Douglas grabbed the fourth spot in the 2010 Nastia Liukin Cup and third in the Visa Championships in 2011 respectively. Getting a call-up to the National team in 2011, Douglas justified her inclusion by playing a major role in Team USA’s triumph at the 2011 World Championships. She once again replicated her success at the 2015 Worlds by making the USA clinch the gold.
Competing at the Olympics, Gabby Douglas not only won gold but also made history. She became the first Afro-American gymnast to boast of an all-around champion title at the Olympics. Douglas was also the first female gymnast to clinch gold medals in both the individual and the team categories. Continuing her reign of dominance, the 28-year-old also went on to become the champion at the AT&T American Cup in 2016.
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Gabby Douglas’ immense success earned her several honors as well. She received the Female Athlete of the Year award from Associated Press in 2012. Acknowledging her contributions to the sport, the 28-year-old was nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year. In 2013, she clinched a couple of BET Awards to further add glory to her already bejeweled career.
Once she took a break from her gymnastics duties in 2016, many speculated that it was the last we saw of her. However, given the brave soul, Gabby Douglas was, the speculations were soon proved to be wrong. After almost eight years away from top-level competition, Douglas announced her comeback to the sport recently. Citing her aspirations for a possible Olympic triumph, Gabby Douglas is training hard. And considering her past records, it will be interesting to see if Douglas can craft a dream comeback.