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Gabby Douglas winning the gold in the gymnastics all-around has become a watershed moment for the USA in the 2012 London Olympics. America has received its new Olympic sweetheart. It’s more than Gabby becoming the first black woman to win the event, which is a huge milestone in itself, but the story reverberates deeper. Gabby Douglas is an embodiment of the American Dream. She was raised by a single mother who sacrificed everything because she believed in her child’s potential. She had to go against her motherly instincts and let her 14-year-old daughter travel cross-country to train with an acclaimed coach in order to prepare for the London Olympics. Nothing was guaranteed. Gabby has been training for this Olympics since she was 12, and it all came together in one moment. All of the hard work, risks, and sacrifices have paid off and Gabby Douglas is already signing sponsorship deals with Kellogg’s with many more to come. Twitter was rightly ablaze with celebrities and pop icons sending out their congratulations.
Mary Lou Retton knows the exact whirlwind Gabby Douglas is in right now. Back in 1984 Retton won the all-around woman’s gold at the same age as Douglas, 16. Retton tweeted this awesome picture of four generations of US Women’s Gymnast champs.
Four generations of champs! Do proud of u
@gabrielledoug twitter.com/marylouretton/…— Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) August 3, 2012
Superstar producer Timbaland sent out his congratulations to Gabby, telling her: “u did ur thang.” Yes, she certainly did her thang and not ur thang Timbaland. Oh Timbaland, u so silly.
yessir bigups to
@gabrielledoug u did ur thang— Timbaland (@Timbaland) August 3, 2012
Oprah tweeted about her flowing happy tears, which has to be an unfathomable event to process for a 16-year-old. You made Oprah cry … but in a good way. Pretty nuts!
OMG I’m so THRILLED for Gabby. Flowing happy tears!!
#TeamUSA— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) August 2, 2012
Elizabeth Banks sends out her adulation for Gabby Douglas as well.
@gabrielledoug Congrats! U r an inspiration. What a smile! And the gymnastics was pretty good too.— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) August 3, 2012
What’s a quicker way to take a strong, young, supremely talented gymnast and turn them into a disease-ridden corpse? Accepting “*kisses*” from Nicki Minaj. Stay away from our Olympic sweetheart you bottom-heavy hack!
*kisses to Gabby* what an amazing little firecracker.
#USA#Olympics— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) August 2, 2012
Lil Wayne sent his congratulations … Okay. Moving along.
Glad i lived to see what Gabby Douglas did in the Olympics. Icon.
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) August 3, 2012
This is crazy, getting tweeted to by the president of the United States? THE POTUS? And then also by Oprah in the same day? Talk about crossing off your bucket list, right?
@jordyn_wieber,@gabrielledoug,@aly_raisman,@mckaylamaroney,@kyla_ross96: Congratulations! You’ve made us all proud.#TeamUSA— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 1, 2012
Alt-Pop Faux-Rock Feminist-Tween-Idol Pink said some words of encouragement to the Women’s Gymnast team.
Congrats to the USA women’s gymnastics team on their win. You competed hard!!!!!! Well done
— P!nk (@Pink) August 1, 2012
From one world champion to another. Pretty awesome, pretty heavy.
Congrats to
@gabrielledoug on winning gold in women’s all around! You are an inspiration to young girls everywhere, esp African Americans.— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 3, 2012
Samuel L. Jackson continues to run the best and most entertaining Twitter account ever.
GABBY GOLD!GOLD!GOLD! U S GYMFUGGYNASTICS!!!!Go USA!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 3, 2012
Also, Missy Elliott is still alive.
@gabrielledoug Congratulations Gabrielle!#Va all day! May God Continue to Bless u in all u do!!! U did it!— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) August 3, 2012