Motivation Monday: The 2016 U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team

Last night, the dreams of five lovely young women came true: the five-woman U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team was named in San Jose, California.

 Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian became first-time Olympians. The other two members achieved their dreams for the second time.

 Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman became the first U.S. women's gymnasts to make a consecutive Olympic team since Dominique Dawes and Amy Chow did in 2000. Douglas is the first reigning Olympic all-around champion to return to the Games since Nadia Comeneci in 1980.



 And all five of these gymnasts provide great motivation and inspiration, whether it be words of wisdom on social media or in an interview that have helped them accomplish their goals and make it to the Games. Each of them has taught me something special, something I can use as motivation when needed, which makes rooting for them even better.



Simone Biles

In just three years, Biles has become the most decorated American female gymnast in World Championship history and the most decorated female World Champion gymnast with 10 gold medals!

 She's known for her incredibly difficult gymnastics and her excellent execution, which makes her pretty much unbeatable. But even people like Simone, who hardly ever falters in competition, make mistakes sometimes. Yesterday, she fell during her beam routine. But she got right back up there.

 Simone reminds me that in order to reach your goals, you need to be proactive and no one's perfect. It's reassuring to know that because mistakes can serve as motivation to work even harder.

 Gabby Douglas

If you paid any attention to gymnastics at the Olympic in 2012, hers is a name you should know. Douglas is the reigning Olympic all-around champion and is part of the Fierce Five, the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won gold in London.

And if she's a familiar face, her story probably is, too. Growing up, her family was not well off, and Gabby and her family sometimes lived in their car. Due to Douglas' hard work in the gym and performances on the competition floor, her family no longer has to worry about that.

Gabby reminds me that even when times are rough and things don't seem to be going your way, if you work hard enough, you can get out of the less-than-ideal situation and be successful.



The 16-year-old gymnast is in her first year of senior competition, meaning this is the first year she is eligible to compete in the Olympics or World Championships. She's had a breakout year with top-three finishes in the all-around at the national championships and Olympic Trials.

Hernandez is a great all-around gymnast but is best on beam and floor. She's super confident and solid on beam and is an amazingly dynamic performer on floor exercise.

 Laurie reminds me that age is just a number, and it's maturity and how you present yourself that counts. She's also a great role model and icon for coming into these Games as few Latinas have made the U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team. 





Madison Kocian

Unless you're a big gymnastics fan or are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Kocian is a name you probably don't know or recognize. She's been on the elite gymnastics scene for a while now, but she has dealt with quite a few injuries.

Just this past year, she fractured her tibia and recovered just in time to compete and contend for the Olympic team. Other past injuries include an ankle sprain in 2013 and a wrist injury in 2012.

Kocian reminds me that you can overcome your struggles and adversity despite how many/much you face. Being injured can be discouraging to some, but Kocian has shown her strength and fight by making it to the Games. I admire her positivity and determination.



Aly Raisman

Raisman is another name you may recognize if you paid any attention to gymnastics in 2012. She was the captain of the Fierce Five and is the reigning Olympic floor exercise champion.

She is known for being a solid and reliable competitor and a very hard worker. She may not be the best at every event or have flawless routines, but she always puts in 110% and is consistent and dependent, on the competition floor, in the gym and as a person.

In recent months, the nicknames "Grandma Aly" or "Mama Aly" have surfaced due to her being the eldest of the U.S. women's artistic gymnastics national team. But she also has that mature, motherly nature to her. It was even evident in 2012. Aly is someone the younger girls can go to, gymnastics aside.

I believe Aly is the epitome of the quote "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." It's not that Aly doesn't have talent ― she has tons. It's just that Aly demonstrates how much hard work can help you reach your goals.

Aly reminds me to work hard in everything I do and to be confident in myself, in my abilities, and with myself. (She's all about body positivity!)







So when the Olympics come around this August, check out some women's artistic gymnastics (Actually, watch all the gymnastics. There won't be this much of it on TV again until 2020.) and see for yourself how motivating they can be.
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