Living in the United States, our goal is to pursue and accomplish our own American dream. Whether that is becoming a lawyer, nurse, firefighter, teacher, doctor, or something else, we all have a goal we continue to fight for. For five young women, named the "Final Five," their American dream was to become Olympic gymnasts. They went on to do just that and more!
It is mind-boggling for me to think that I am around the same age as the girls of the Final Five and our lifestyles and decisions have been so different. When I was younger, I had interests in sports but there was nothing I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life. As for Aly Raisman, she knew right away that gymnastics was the true passion of hers. She said, "I was two years old when my mom put me in 'Mommy and Me' classes. I always had a lot of energy so it was the perfect fit." At the age of 10, Raisman took her training more seriously and by the age of 14, she began to compete at a higher level, eventually winning her first event at the American Classic.
During my teenage years, while I concentrated on high school and studying for my SATs, Simone Biles was “bursting into the spotlight” in 2013 when she was named the all around winner at both the U.S. and World Championship. Along with Biles, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman were also competing in the 2012 London Olympics, where they came home with gold medals as part of the USA Women’s Olympic team!
This year, I am considered a full-time sophomore college student and live on my own in a big city. Also this year, the Final Five have experienced many great things. On August 9, Douglas, Raisman, Biles, Hernandez and Kocian won the Rio Olympic gold medal for the US women’s gymnastic team! Not only did they bring home the gold as a team, but Biles won a gold medal for the individual all-around competition, while Raisman brought home a silver medal.
Like anyone going after their American dream, we all have our ups and downs when trying to reach our goal. Kocian, in 2012, broke her wrist on the balance beam when competing on the US Junior National Team. Hernandez dislocated her kneecap and fractured her wrist when attending the USA gymnastic camps. Biles and her younger sister were adopted by her grandparents at a young age when her mother was experiencing difficult problems with substance abuse.
Just as these five girls and I are practically the same age, we also share the similarity of being proud Americans. As our dreams and accomplishments are much different from one another's, we all continue to be inspirations for others as well as making a mark for ourselves in this beautiful country. While the Final Five chose to pursue their dream of being USA Olympic gymnasts, I chose to pursue my dream of being an epidemiologist. Their inspirational stories will touch millions and I hope to inspire young adults around me to go after their dreams, too, whether that is going to college, working, joining the military, or something else. Despite the differences between us, the Final Five and I share an important similarity in that we are living our American dream.
So next time you find yourself watching the Olympics, wishing to be one of those incredible athletes, stop and think of your accomplishments and reflect upon the amazing dreams you have pursued as an American!