A sculpture of Olympic gold medalist and Silver Spring native Dominique Dawes will be unveiled on July 23.
A meet-and-greet will follow the event, which starts at noon at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center, located at 1319 Apple Ave. in downtown Silver Spring.
The center opened in February of this year.
“Help us celebrate one of our hometown Olympians! Join us on Tuesday, July 23 at noon for the unveiling of a sculpture honoring Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes at the Silver Spring Recreation & Aquatic Center,” County Executive Marc Elrich said on X (formerly Twitter). “See you there!”
Help us celebrate one of our hometown Olympians! Join us on Tuesday, July 23 at noon for the unveiling of a sculpture honoring Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes at the Silver Spring Recreation & Aquatic Center. See you there! pic.twitter.com/srzM5II5QV
— County Exec Marc Elrich (@MontCoExec) July 12, 2024
“Awesome Dawesome” achieved a historic milestone as the first African-American gymnast to qualify for and compete in the Olympics. From 1991 to 1996, she garnered 15 U.S. Championships. She further cemented her legacy in 1996 by becoming the first African-American to earn an individual medal in Olympic gymnastics, securing a bronze medal in the floor exercises.
Dawes, a three-time Olympian, was a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” the trailblazing American team that clinched gold in women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Her other endeavors include appearing on Broadway in a revival of “Grease” and Prince’s “Betcha by Golly Wow!” music video. She also advocates for young women in sports, serving as president of the Women’s Sports Federation from 2004 to 2006.
In 2010, President Obama appointed Dawes to co-chair the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition alongside NFL quarterback Drew Brees, and in 2020, she opened the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academy, with locations in Clarksburg and Rockville, with a third expected to open later this year, according to MoCo360.
Additionally, Dawes has been a member of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame since 2009 and was inducted into the USA Olympic Hall of Fame with the “Magnificent Seven” in 2008.
Dawes attended Montgomery Blair High School and later transferred to and graduated from Gaithersburg High School. She earned a degree from the University of Maryland and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 2022; last fall, she was elected to the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dawes became part of the Atlanta Falcons ownership group earlier this year.
Photo: English: Elaine Sanchez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
