She also won gold medals both in 2012 and 2016 as part of the “Fierce Five” and “Final Five” of the US women’s team in artistic gymnastics – and nabbed the title of World All-Around silver medallist at the young age of 20.

Recently, she was the oldest gymnast at the US Winter Cup in February, and went head to head with Suni Lee and Simone Biles at the US Classic in May.

Her wins were not only milestone moments for the gymnast herself – they marked a significant era in her sport. Douglas is the first African-American to take home the title of individual All-Around Champion at the Olympics – and the only American at the time to also bring home the same title for team competitions in 2012.

So what else do we know about her?

What is Gabby Douglas famous for?

Like many American athletes, the 28-year-old’s success in the arena translated to fame in pop culture. In the tradition of American Olympians, Douglas appeared on the box of Kellogg’s cornflakes cereal, inspiring a whole generation of gymnastic hopefuls.

Her first Olympic golds in London brought with her a slew of adoring fans, which ultimately led her to several projects beyond gymnastics. Her story was turned into a Lifetime film in 2014, dubbed The Gabby Douglas Story, which detailed her meteoric rise to success and the long, gruelling journey that led to it.

At the height of the reality TV era, Douglas also got a deal to star in her own television series, Douglas Family Gold. The show, which launched in 2016, was short-lived and didn’t get picked up for a second season after the first six episodes.

But her quest to inspire young fans did not stop there. She penned a memoir Grace, Gold and Glory detailing her trials and tribulations, offering an account of how she came to be one of America’s top gymnasts.

Why did Gabby Douglas take time off?

Being an athlete can be demanding, both physically and mentally. In 2022, Douglas shared with her 1.5 million Instagram followers that she would be stepping back from social media to take time to focus on her mental health. Though the star athlete did not go into details as to what exactly triggered the decision, she did reveal in her post that she’s been feeling weighed down by physical, emotional and mental stress – and saw taking a hiatus from social media as one way to cope with what’s most important in her life.

Luckily, earlier this year, she announced her return to social media with a post revealing how she was on a journey to find joy again in the sport she loved dearly.

Is Gabby Douglas really making a comeback?

The elite athlete never officially retired, but she didn’t attend the Tokyo Olympics. “I didn’t want to end this sport how I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on my mental state,” she shared in an interview with NBC. “I love gymnastics and love pushing myself … I never wanted to walk away on a bad day.”