A Women’s History Month Celebration: Gabby Douglas Comes to Trinity College
By: Catherine Bourke ’26
On March 28th, students were given the incredible opportunity to attend a Q&A and Meet and Greet with the illustrious Gabby Douglas, universally recognized for her outstanding talent for gymnastics and 3 Olympic gold medals. Being one of the most well known women to claim gold medals in team U.S.A and the first African American to win the all- around title, Douglas has been an inspiration to people all over the world and a trailblazer for women in athletics and people of color. As March is Women’s History Month, this was the perfect event to gain insight into one of the most talented, strong, and persevering women of our generation. Whether you are a gymnast or not, Gabby Douglas has qualities making her easily admirable to anyone, and it was a privilege to be able to see the all-star athlete we grew up watching on a small screen in the flesh.
When Douglas first stepped onto the stage, I was immediately struck by how kind and down to earth her presence was. She looked incredibly excited to be at Trinity and had such a bright smile on her face that truly lit up the room. She is naturally very personable, and spoke as if she was an old friend of everybody at the event. For the first half of the event, Douglas was asked some general questions from the two main interviewers pertaining to life as an Olympic athlete, keeping herself strong, and being an icon for women’s empowerment. For the second half the floor was passed to the audience, and many people were able to stand up and ask Douglas a question, including myself. As Douglas is wrapping up her eight year hiatus from gymnastics which she took to prioritize her mental health, there was much to be said on her endeavors, from tactics to overcome self-doubt to the most rewarding performance of her career. Members of the audience asked various questions about her personal life, and we learned that she grew up on a farm, enjoys hiking, and that her go-to hype song is “Hiss” by Megan Thee Stallion. Despite being incredibly accomplished for 28, she does not use her success as an excuse to be boastful. If there is such a thing as a “super human”, then Gabby Douglas definitely is one, but the event came to show that beneath all the gold medals and fame she is a girl with a very big heart.
I truly could not think of a more perfect way for Trinity to appreciate Women’s History Month than by bringing Gabby Douglas to speak to and personally meet students. We were able to meet a world-renowned celebrity while learning about self-confidence, empowerment, and striving for your goals. The Q&A was an amazing chance for students to get up close and personal with a woman who has made history through her hard work and gain firsthand knowledge into how she made it to where she is. Gabby Douglas has managed to win multiple national titles starting from age fourteen and compete in the Olympics two times all while staying true to herself, and impressive is an understatement when it comes to summing up her career. As Women’s History Month is meant to recognize and appreciate the contributions of women in history and in society, having Gabby Douglas to listen to and meet was an exceptionally fitting way to celebrate. Gabby Douglas will always be a household name and a groundbreaker for women and people of color, and I am forever thankful I was given the opportunity to meet her.
