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News from |
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Michael D. Chason Director of Public
Relations ABAC 30, 2802 Moore Hwy |
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For IMMEDIATE
Release October 21,
2009
Dominique
Dawes Still Making An Impression
TIFTON—Three-time
Olympian Dominique Dawes still makes an impression.
She’s
no longer the tiny teenager who captured the hearts of television watchers
world-wide in the 1996 Olympics but she is an energetic, outgoing motivational
speaker who wowed the students at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College at a
recent leadership workshop sponsored by the Student Support Leadership Club and
Student Support Services.
“I
truly love what I am doing,” Dawes said.
“Pursue your passion, and it won’t feel like work. You’ll be willing to put in the time and
effort.”
Dawes
and her Olympic teammates stunned the world in 1996 at the Olympic Games in Atlanta
when the United States won the team gold medal.
Dawes became the first African-American to win an individual gymnastics
medal when she won the bronze in floor exercise.
Dawes
was also a part of the bronze medal U.S. team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
and competed with the 2000 team in Sydney.
Stepping out onto the international stage certainly had its moments.
“I
had a breakdown right before we marched out in the Georgia Dome in ’96,” Dawes
said. “We all felt it. Amanda Borden, our captain, gathered
everybody together, and we knelt and prayed.
I know that whatever God has in store for me, I must be ready to accept
it. He will not always give us what we
want but what we need.”
Dawes’
gymnastics career began at the age of six.
She actually moved in with her coach, Kelli Hill, because she was
spending so much time at the gym. Did
she miss out on her childhood?
“I
didn’t really miss out on anything,” Dawes said. “I did what I wanted to do. I got to travel the world and represent my
country.”
Dawes
credits her coach and her family with her work ethic.
“I
didn’t give up because my coach wouldn’t let me,” Dawes said. “She shows up when she’s tired. She shows up when there’s ice on the
ground. She’s there.
“My
dad started work at 3 a.m. every morning.
I saw what hard work was all about.
I am a very driven person. When
things are not working, I never give up.”
With
three Olympic Games behind her, surely there’s a special moment that stands out
for Dawes.
“Oh
yeah, meeting the Dream Team in ’92,” Dawes said. “We knew their bus was pulling in, and like
gymnasts always do, we lined up on the sidewalk. Out steps Larry Bird, and he asked us to come
on the bus. There’s Magic Johnson and
Clyde Drexler. I’ll never forget it.”
Dawes
doesn’t train regularly anymore but she’s certainly not out of shape.
“I’m lazy now,” she
said with a laugh. “I trained for 18
years. Now I love yoga and pilates. I’ll pick up a jump rope when I feel sluggish.”
Besides
her motivational speaking, Dawes runs one-day gymnastics clinics. She also does some television work, and is
putting some words together for a book on her life.
“I
want to get kids involved in sports,” Dawes said. “Kids need to get on the right track and stay
on it. They need to develop
perseverance.”
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