London Olympics sensation Gabby Douglas’ journey to become U.S. team and all-around individual gymnastics champion has come at considerable cost. The two-time gold medalist spoke candidly about her family’s tough times amid her quest for glory, including her mom current’s financial woes. “It was hard for us growing up … my dad had left us, so he wasn’t really in the picture anymore,” the 16-year-old told the New York Post. “So, my mom had to front all these bills,” Gabby recalled. “My dad didn’t really pay the child support. He was really short [on money]” “It was definitely hard on my mom , taking care of me and my siblings.” Gabby’s father, Timothy Douglas, was a military man who had been deployed to the Middle East when she was just nine years old. Although the family had resided in Virginia Beach, Va., the future Olympic champion eventually moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to train. After a history-making one-two punch that saw Gabby Douglas win Olympic gold medals in both the individual all-around and team competition, she wavered on Monday, placing eighth on the uneven bars . She’ll get another shot at a medal Tuesday on the balance beam. “Toward the end of the Olympics, you get physically tired and drained. And no matter how much rest you have your body is tired,” she said. “Coming into bar finals was a big challenge for me and I made a little mistake. Even if I would have hit a solid routine, I know I have a lower start value then the other competitors. I’m going to go into the beam finals tomorrow and try really hard to end on a good note.” We’ll be admiring Gabby Douglas’ hair and performance today no matter how she does. She’s made America proud in London!
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Gabby Douglas’ Net Worth Currently Negligible: Can Olympic Success Save Mom’s Bankruptcy Woes?
