The history-making gymnast Dominique Dawes is now immortalized in her hometown, where a bronze statue was unveiled in her honor on July 23 at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center (SSRAC) in Maryland. Dawes was present ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where her legacy was on full display.
She was the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics, inspiring a new generation of young Black women to compete in the sport. Dawes was also the first gymnast to compete and win gold in three different Olympics—a feat repeated by Simone Biles this year in Paris.
“The timing of the statue unveiling couldn't be better,” Dawes said. “This statue is part of my legacy and I hope each time a young boy or girl walks by, they too realize that anything is possible when you choose to work hard and never give up striving to be the best that you can be."
Dawes, a Black Catholic convert, also thanked God in her comments, noting him as the source of her talent and the “wisdom to always trust in him.”
Montgomery County’s @dominiquedawes at her statue unveiling at the Silver Spring Aquatic Center! pic.twitter.com/bieE8ZDNuI
— Montgomery County MD (@MontgomeryCoMD) July 23, 2024
Dawes, 47, made history in 1992 when she was named to the U.S. women’s gymnastics team for the Barcelona Olympics, where she helped the Americans win bronze in the team event. In 1996 in Atlanta, she helped the team win gold for the first time as part of the “Magnificent Seven” and secured her first and only individual Olympic medal, a bronze in the floor exercises.
Dawes, a 15-time U.S. champion, was also a three-time silver medalist at the World Championships in 1993 and 1994, as well as a bronze medalist in 1996. She retired after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where the U.S. team again took bronze.
Her new statue is one of the finishing touches at the SSRAC, which opened to the public in late February. The bronze work features Dawes in a side split on the balance beam, one of her signature events during a roughly 15-year career. The statue was created by Brian Hanlon, known as the “Sports Rodin” for his notable depictions of athletes in arenas and public spaces around the country. A Catholic himself, he has also created several religious works, including statues of the famed Jesuit priest Pedro Arrupe and Pope St. John Paul II.
His Dawes statue is seen as a recognition not only of her sports legacy but also her continued contributions to the community in Maryland and elsewhere. Since her retirement, she has opened several athletic training centers and served for two years as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2010, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
In recent years, Dawes has advocated for a shift from a win-first mentality in women’s gymnastics to an approach more focused on health and recreation for young women coming up in the sport. Her most pointed comments came after the public revelation of a widespread abuse culture within the USA Gymnastics organization, which led to the resignation of several top officials and the prosecution of former team doctor Larry Nassar.
“What we experienced in the '90s, it was evident that it was not a healthy culture,” Dawes said in an interview last month with NPR. “I think there's a perception that there's a culture change for this generation that's on the floor competing, I think it's healthier for them, but we don't know what's happening with the younger generations because they still don't have a voice.”
Dawes has aimed to help change the culture of the sport with her new gyms, the latest of which opened last year in Rockville. She plans to open her third this year in Columbia.
“Dominique Dawes represents the best of our community, not just because of her historic accomplishments, but also because of her ongoing commitment to positive youth development and empowerment, autism awareness, and other important issues,” said Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, who spearheaded the effort to have a statue made in her honor.
"I am humbled and honored to know that my journey of grit and perseverance has inspired many,” Dawes added. “I came from humble beginnings, and I have never lost sight of what matters most and that is the ability to impact future generations.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
