It has been 30 years since Dominique Dawes became the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics at the Olympics. “It’s hard to put it into words, and it’s also hard to think that I accomplished those things as a teenager,” Dawes said. “It feels like it was a whole, i t was a whole other lifetime ago, like 30 years. I was 19.” It was the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when Dawes and her teammates, who would become the ‘Magnificent Seven’, won the team gold as well. She called it an unreal experience, but not the experience many watching might have thought. “I think the people around you are convincing you that this is a sacrifice that’s worth it for that, and then you get up there [on the medal podium] and you realize this is not what I was sold. I’m not saying it was a complete let down disappointment, but I think I always knew that there was so much more,” Dawes said. She was also very candid about her experiences in the sport, calling much of it a toxic culture. She said that’s why she decided to open the Dominique Dawes Academy in 2020. They specialize in gymnastics and Ninja for kids. Those classes help kids build confidence, strength and fun through expertly guided, progressive classes. One of those locations is in the Houston area. The academy is getting ready to open its sixth location. “This facility was needed because there was too much rampant abuse in the sport of gymnastics. There was too much silence. There was too much control. There were a lot of people in the sport that were ruining the sport. I’ve always loved the sport of gymnastics, but the people in it were really corrupt, horrible people that need not be around kids, need not influence kids and impact kids. And when all the abuses came out in 2016, that was something there. A seed was planted in myself and my husband encouraged me to start opening our first academy and it took quite a few years to get it off the ground,” Dawes said. Dawes specifically referred to former national team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar is serving up to a 175-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty to several charges in separate cases including sexual assault. She also said she sincerely has enjoyed seeing the changes between the 1996 team to now. “As an outsider, I will say it looks like they’re enjoying it. It looks like they can be themselves. These young women have helped change the sport and really focus on making it a healthy sport. And it wasn’t so healthy back then,” Dawes said. As the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles approaches, Dawes said she is excited about those changes and what the future may hold for young gymnasts. Dawes said, in the end, she wants to be remembered as much more than an Olympic gold medalist. “It’s not just about breaking barriers or it’s not just about winning an Olympic gold medal or getting on the podium and being a professional athlete let’s say but it was really about the journey. It was really about the impact. It’s really about the legacy,” Dawes said. Dawes said she now has dedicated her life to her four children, giving them a loving home she said she wished she had growing up. “My mother just wasn’t capable of love like I needed it. My father either. My childhood was tough. Going to the gym was often an escape. I want my kids to live in an environment where they know they are loved and they know they are safe,” Dawes said. Dawes has also expanded her business portfolio into professional sports as part owner in the NWSL Washington Spirit and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. ...read more read less