The Pioneers Who Inspired Me to Make History

As a young child I can still vividly remember watching the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, mesmerized by Dominique Dawes, as she became the first Black person of any nationality or gender to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. I grew up listening to friends talk about their admiration for swimmer Mark Spitz and distance runner Steve Prefontaine, but Dominique was my first sports hero. We now have the likes of Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, but in the ’90s I had never seen a young Black female excel at that level. She was the first of many trailblazers to inspire me to push beyond what I thought was possible in my own athletic journey. Read More