Giveaway: Win the Gabby Douglas Story, Grace, Gold & Glory!

Gabrielle Douglas made us proud in the 2012 London Olympics. Now the gold medalist's triumphant story has been turned into a book, Grace, Gold & Glory, and a Lifetime biopic that airs February 1.

The Gabby Douglas Story details Gabby’s rise against overwhelming odds to become the first African American ever to be named Individual All-Around Champion in Artistic Gymnastics at an Olympic Games. A refreshingly Christian-toned script and endearing performances by Sydney Mikayla (Whitney), who portrays Douglas during her childhood, and Imani Hakim (Love Reign Over Me), who portrays her teenage and young adult years, make this a must-see TV event for families and aspiring athletes of all ages.

The real-life Gabby Douglas appears in the film, which also stars Peabody Award-winning actress Regina King (Southland, Ray) and Golden Globe® and Emmy®-winner S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order).

A prodigy from a very young age, Gabby originally made her mark on the world of competitive gymnastics at age eight, winning numerous state championship titles throughout her age group career. While her star was fast rising in the arena, Gabby and her family faced dire economic and personal challenges at home and she made the difficult decision to leave her mother Natalie (King), three siblings and grandmother (Merkerson) in Virginia Beach and move to Des Moines, Iowa, to train with renowned coach Liang Chow (Brian Tee, The Wolverine) and pursue her single-minded dream of Olympic glory.

Buoyed by her intense faith and love from her family, Gabby made it onto the 2012 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team, which faced unyielding and unforgettable competition in the London Games. Her sacrifice and perseverance were triumphantly rewarded with Team Competition and Individual All-Around gold medals, placing Gabby and her teammates – known as “The Fierce Five” – among the world’s all-time greats in the sport of gymnastics.

To celebrate the accomplishments of this inspiring young woman, Everything She Wants will giveaway a copy of Gabby's book to one lucky reader. Just be the first person to comment on this post with your first name and Twitter handle.

Comments

Giveaway: Thank Your Friends with Merci Chocolates!

National Friendship Day was August 4, 2013, but Everything She Wants has decided to continue the celebration with a giveaway from merci fine European chocolates . While some friendships are for a season or a reason, other friendships are built to last a lifetime. I’m fortunate to have two best friends: Cindy, whom I’ve known since junior high school and Deanna, who started out as my amusing intern. Besides my mother and my husband, these girlfriends are my greatest confidants. They’re like the sisters I never had and we’ve supported each other through personal trials and triumphs. So what better way to say ‘thank you’ to your friends than with merci chocolates? One lucky reader will win a ‘Friendship Kit’ that you can either keep to reward yourself for being such a great friend or share with a deserving comrade. The kit includes: $25 Target gift card (yay!) 7 ounce box of merci chocolates A picture frame to display a photo of you a...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Comes to Brooklyn, June 5-8

Attending a performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is always a highlight of my arts and culture calendar. An engagement with this awe-inspiring and genre-bending dance company is even better when they perform close to home at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Photo: Danica Paulos Ailey’s long-standing relationship with BAM began in 1969 when the trailblazing choreographer established The Ailey School in Brooklyn and presented his company’s...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Graces Brooklyn Academy of Music, June 4-9, 2024

Dance is expression. Dance is spiritual. Dance is activism. Dance is life. I feel most alive when I am listening to music and dancing. As a spectator and fan, some of my fondest moments of watching dance performances have been witnessing the dignity and grace of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Every time I see the Ailey company, I am inspired, moved, and grounded in the beauty and complexity of the African American experience. Photo by Paul Kolnik For me, the highlight is always "Revelations," Mr. Ailey's three-part ode to his upbringing in the Black Baptist church. The three sections -- "Pilgrim of Sorrow"; "Take Me to the Water"; and "Move, Members, Move" -- tell the story of African American faith and persistence from slavery to freedom. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of taking an outdoor Community Workshop in downtown Brooklyn, where we learned some of the choreography for "Revelations." I beamed from ear to ear...

Everything She Wants

Search This Blog