Growing up, we’ve always had this dream of achieving the same things our favorite Olympic athletes did. We watched their games with awe on the TV while munching on chips with the family. And it is without a doubt that these athletes gained fame for their achievements.
In the arena, the athletes we see are in their element to win gold. But one question, in particular, begs to be answered. What does an Olympic athlete do after they retire? Do they go on lavish vacations? Do they stay at home?
In this list, we take a trip through memory lane and remember the top female Olympic athletes and what they’re doing today.
Tessa Virtue
Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue is an ice dancer hailing from Canada. She and her ice dance partner, Scott Moir, have achieved so much throughout their years of competing in the Olympics. They won gold during the 2010 and 2018 Winter Olympics and a silver medal back in 2014. Those are only a few of their major achievements together. Virtue and Moir were one of the world’s top ice dance teams with a 22-year history of competing together.
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It was back in September of 2019 that the pair decided to retire and announced that they were “stepping away” from the sport after a long 22 years as ice dancing partners. In March of last year, Tessa confirmed to the public that she was in a relationship with Toronto Maple Leaf’s Defenseman, Morgan Reilly. And in the Fall of 2020, Tessa also began her Executive MBA program at Queen’s University.
Sasha Cohen
Another figure skater on this list is Alexandra Pauline Cohen, or most commonly known as “Sasha” in the Olympic world. She is a silver medalist in the 2006 Winter Olympics held at the Palavela in Turin and a three-time medalist at the World Figure Skating Championships. She was known for her flexibility and body lines as well as her soul when she steps into the rink. She also popularized the I-Spin position which was then dubbed the “Sasha spin” due to her perfect execution of the move. Shortly after joining the All That Skate ice show in 2010, she announced that she was retiring.
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Sasha graduated from Columbia University after she took up Political Science. Currently, she works at Morgan Stanley as an associate. Back in 2016, she got married to her first husband, hedge fund manager Tom May. However, in February of 2018, they divorced. She is currently engaged to Geoffrey Lieberthal with whom she shares a son.
Carmelita Jeter
Carmelita Jeter is an American sprinter that specialized in 100-meter dash runs. She was the IAAF World Champion in 2011 and is also a three-time Olympic medalist. People have dubbed her the second-fastest woman alive as she continuously beat her own fast time records. However, she retired back in 2017 after she encountered severe injuries that hindered her from competing for the 2016 Olympics.
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Since her retirement, she took on a role as a Toros Track & Field coaching staff. However, in August of 2020, she moved to the University of Alabama and is now coaching sprinters. What she ultimately dreams of is to be able to coach and help create the next Fastest Woman Alive.
Nastia Liukin
Anastasia Valeryevna Liukina, or “Nastia” as she is commonly known, is a Russian-born American former gymnast. She won the 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion and is also a five-time Olympic medalist. She also ties in with Shannon Miller’s record for the third-highest tally of World Championship medals – nine World Championship Medals, seven of which were individual. Liukin was also regarded as a key member of the US senior gymnastics team however, after failing several Olympic Trials and other pre-Olympics events, she retired back in 2012.
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After her retirement, you would think she’d want nothing to do with the sport. But, no, that wasn’t the case. Nastia became a gymnastics analyst on NBC. She is also a budding entrepreneur – creating and designing her personal collection of leotards. Because her passion for gymnastics hasn’t diminished, she also founded an Olympic qualifying event called The Nastia Liukin Cup.
Inge de Bruijn
If you think Michael Phelps was the only person to hold the title of World’s Best Swimmer, then I guarantee you that you’re wrong. Inge De Bruijn is a former Dutch competitive swimmer. She is a four-time Olympic Champion and a former record-holder. But it wasn’t to say that she outright found the love for swimming as she already tried several types of sports until eventually finding her passion in swimming. She announced her retirement from the sport back in March 2007 after 16 years.
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After she retired from swimming, Inge has been taking on TV guestings and appearances. Lately, she has launched her own brand and is a sought-after motivational speaker. She also gives swimming clinics wherever she goes and to just about anybody with a passion for swimming from beginners to the elderly and even triathletes. She is also a social media influencer for online campaigns like travel, beauty and lifestyle.
Nadia Comaneci
Another talented gymnast in this list is Nadia Elena Comåneci Conner, also professionally known as Nadia Comåneci. She is a former five-time Olympic gold medalist. At the age of 14, she was the first ever gymnast that was awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games. But it didn’t stop there. Nadia also received six more perfect 10s on her way to winning three gold medals. She officially retired on May 7, 1984.
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Nadia didn’t stop even after her retirement. Although now 59-years-old, she continues to be heavily involved in gymnastics. Because she and her husband, Bart Conner, share the same passion for the sport, they have opened up gymnastics centers in the US and Romania. She also serves as an honorary president of the Romanian Olympic Committee and a member of the International Gymnastics Federation Foundation. As if her standing isn’t already such an honor, she’s also received two Olympic Orders.
Tara Lipinski
Tara Kristen Lipinski is a former American competitive figure skater. She has been awarded as the 1998 Olympic Champion, the 1997 World Champion along with other major awards she garnered from joining top competitions of her sport. Until two years ago, she was dubbed as the youngest skater to win US Nationals. Because she started competing at only 12 years old, she was regarded as the youngest skater to win a World Figure Skating title and the youngest ever to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She retired from competitive figure skating back in 1998 but still performed at over 300 live shows before officially retiring from the overall sport in 2002.
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It was in 2013 when Lipinski was brought on as a sports commentator for NBC along with fellow figure skater and good friend, Jonny Weir. On top of that, the pair had also been considered fashion and lifestyle commentators for huge events such as the Kentucky Derby. In 2016, Hulu announced that it was going to create a figure skating drama series and Lipinski was one of the executive producers on the show.
Dominique Moceanu
Dominique’s parents were both gymnasts in Romania, so when Dominique was born, they had early aspirations for her gymnastics career. It was said that even as she was just a toddler, her parents would test her strength by having her hang from a clothesline. When she entered into competitive gymnastics, she joined the gold-medal-winning US Women’s Gymnastics Team called the “Magnificent Seven” in the 1996 Summer Olympics. She was also the last gymnast to compete legally at the Olympics at only just 14 years old.
Dominique Moceanu Gymnastics Center
Moceanu had a lot going for her. In 2006, she married a former Ohio State gymnast and now podiatrist, Dr. Michael Canales. However, in 2008, Moceanu spoke out about the abuse and manipulation she went through while on training with Marta and Béla Károlyi. A few years after, two fellow gymnasts also helped testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Currently, she’s put up a gymnastics center for aspiring athletes and is hands-on with training.
Shannon Miller
Shannon Lee Miller is an American former artistic gymnast. She also joined the “Magnificent Seven” team and won gold-medal at the 1996 Olympics. She has earned a lot of medals from her time in competitive gymnastics and is considered the most decorated US female gymnast in Olympics history with a total of seven medals. Also in 1992, she was the most successful American athlete at the 1992 Olympics by winning five medals. She retired from the sport in August of 2000.
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Miller was first married in June 1999 to lawyer and ophthalmologist Christopher Phillips but later separated in 2004 and officially divorced in 2006. A year after, Miller announced her engagement to John Falconetti, the president of Drummond Press and married in August 2008. However, it was not all that easy for Miller as in February of 2011, she was diagnosed with germ cell ovarian cancer. Luckily for her, doctors were able to take out the malignant cyst in time and was declared free of cancer that same year in September.
Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson has been the epitome of a prodigy. Only at three years old, she has shown her love for athletics. In 2007, Johnson became a member of the US senior team and in the same year, she won the Individual All-Around World Champion, 2007 World Champion on floor exercise and is also a member of the gold medal-winning US Gymnastics Team. She announced her retirement in June 2012.
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In between her career as an artistic gymnast, she joined Season 8 of Dancing With The Stars. And in 2016, she married professional football long snapper, Andrew East. In 2019, Johnson and her husband announced that they were pregnant. Nastia Liukin even served as the baby’s godmother. Just last month, the couple also announced that they were expecting their second child.
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition as well as two silver and two bronze medals. Her performance and her winning the gold medal was considered historic as she was the first ever American woman to win the all-around gold medal in the history of Olympics gymnastics. This led her to be one of the US’ most popular athletes.
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Retton married Shannon Kelley, a former University of Texas Quarterback and Houston real estate developer back in December 1990. However, the two filed for divorce in November 2017. Retton had also joined Dancing With The Stars in 2018. And today, she can be often found supporting her daughter as she follows in her footsteps into the world of gymnastics.
Kerri Strug
Another member of the “Magnificent Seven,” Strug hails from Tucson, Arizona. People best remember her for her resilience and passion for what she does. In the 1996 Summer Olympics, she performed a second vault despite injuring her ankle during the first one. She was later carried by her coach, Béla Károlyi to the podium to receive their gold medals.
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Since her retirement, Strug has gone on to work for the government. Her stints include working in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, Department of Treasury and the Department of Justice. She also worked briefly as an Olympic correspondent and an elementary school teacher.
Annie Hatch
At just the young age of four, Annia Hatch had already represented Cuba. She won her first Cuban National Championships at only ten years old. She would later on win the same title six times. She was supposed to attend the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta but a lack of funding hindered the Cuban Olympic Committee from sending her. It was only in 2004 that she was able to join the Olympic Games and won two silver medals.
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After her retirement in August 2004, Annia turned her attention to coaching. She has also developed her own fashion clothing line. She also put up an “Annia Cares” organization that was launched in 2016 to provide assistance and support to athletes and their families around the world.
Kyla Ross
Kyla Ross was considered an elite gymnast from 2009 to 2016. She was a member of the US Women’s Gymnastics team. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, she was one of the “Fierce Five” – the team that won the second gold medal for the United States. While half of her experiences were done as a team, individually, she has also achieved so many medals. However, in February of 2016, she decided to retire and focus on college.
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But even during her stay in the University of California, Los Angeles, she found herself being drawn to the sport again and was a member of their NCAA gymnastics team since the fall of 2016. Her more notable achievements came while she was playing for the collegiate gymnastics team. Ross became the 11th athlete to achieve a perfect score in the NCAA and only the second person to do it twice.
Simone Biles
Even at 23 years old, Simon Biles has made sure to make a name for herself not just within the Olympic community but to the whole world. She is the US’s most decorated American gymnast and ranks third as the world’s most decorated gymnast. Many even consider that she is the best of the best.
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It was reported that Biles took a break after winning and making a name for herself at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, because of the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed until July 2021. She even starred on the cover of Vogue last August 2020.
Jordyn Wieber
Another member of the Fierce Five, Jordyn Marie Wieber won her first ever gold medal as a team during the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was also a member of the gold-winning American team at the 2011 World Championships. Individually, she won the all-around title and was also awarded a bronze medal on the balance team.
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Wieber retired from competitive gymnastics in March 2015. Currently, she has her hands full as she is now the current head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks Gymnastics Team. It was in January of 2018 that she also testified to the accusation of sexual abuse by their team doctor, Larry Nassar. Because of this, she and other survivors of the abuse were awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
Gabrielle Douglas
Gabby Douglas became the 2012 Olympic all-around Champion and the 2015 World all-around silver medalist. She was also a member of the 2016 Summer Olympics “Fierce Five” which won gold. Douglas is also the first ever African-American to become the Olympic individual all-around champion and the first US gymnast to win gold in both individual and team categories in the same Olympics.
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Because of her achievements and how much people have adored her, a story adaptation of her life was released in 2014 on Lifetime called The Gabby Douglas Story. She also starred in her own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold. She also wrote a book about her life and her experiences as an Olympic gold medalist and motivates readers about determination and perseverance in life.
McKayla Maroney
McKayla Rose Maroney was one of the members of the Fierce Five at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In the same games, she won silver in the vault event. Her success started skyrocketing after joining the American team during the 2011 World Championships where they won gold medals in the team and vault competitions. The next year, she defended her World title and won the gold medal again on vault leading her to become the first US female gymnast to defend a World Championship vault title.
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Maroney was also a darling to the media as she became a viral internet meme after she was photographed with a “not impressed” expression after winning silver in the 2012 Olympics. She retired from competitive gymnastics in 2016. Not long after, she also testified in court regarding the issue of sexual abuse with the Gymnastic Team’s doctor, Larry Nassar. She was also awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage award due to her bravery despite the abuse. Just last year, she released her first official single called Wake Up Call and released an ice-breaker song called COVID-19 Lockdowns a few weeks later to lighten an otherwise very difficult year.
Summer Sanders
Summer Sanders was meant to be in the water. At just the young age of three, she could already swim a lap of the pool because she wanted to be just like her older brother. Sanders was already building a name for herself but she grew even more popular in 1992. During the Olympic Games held in Barcelona, she won four medals in the swimming competition.
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Even before she retired and was still competing, she worked as a commentator for CBS and NBC. She also acted as an Olympic Analyst and host. Not shy from the media, she also appeared in many programs as either correspondent or host and even made appearances in two films: Jerry Maguire (1996) and Broken Record (1997).
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is just about considered a household name. He is more notable in the sports world because of his all-time world record of 28 Olympic gold medals. He is not only the most decorated American athlete in the Olympics history but is also the most decorated of all time worldwide. Even though he announced his retirement back in 2012, it was no more of a surprise when he returned to compete in the 2016 Olympics held in Rio. He won five gold medals and one silver medal.
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Since retiring, he has focused on doing philanthropic works such as his very own charity organization called the Michael Phelps Foundation. He is married to former Miss California USA, Nicole Johnson. The couple has three sons.
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte would attribute his desire to win at an early age. He didn’t take swimming seriously at first but when he lost the Junior Olympics at the age of 14, it was when he decided that he was never going to lose again. And so, he did just that. He holds the record in the 200- and 400-meter medleys and is a 12-time Olympic medalist, including six gold medals.
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Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Fortune magazine reported that Lochte earned about $2.3 million from endorsement deals with a number of major brands and appeared on commercials and magazine covers. Lochte then went on to marry long-time Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid in 2018. They have two kids together.
Amy Van Dyken
Amy Van Dyken made history in the 1996 Olympics because she won four Olympic gold medals. At the time, it was the highest number of medals ever won by a woman. She was even named Swimming World’s American Swimmer of the Year in 1995 and in 1996. Van Dyken retired after the 2000 Olympics.
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Not long after, she married former NFL Punter, Tom Rouen. She uses her platform as a way to motivate and speak out about her experiences as an athlete. She would go several speaking engagements to a variety of venues and groups. She was also involved in a lot of philanthropic work. However, on June 6, 2014, she was a victim of a severe ATV incident that severed her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.
Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis has taken interest in gymnastics ever since he was a baby. As a child, he went on to compete and perform regularly in a variety of venues including nursing homes and the local naval base. At the age of nine, he began diving lessons after his family got a swimming pool. It was in 1984 and 1988 that he gained fame due to his gold medal wins in both springboard and platform. His achievements weren’t only through gymnastics as he is also an Olympic diver. He is considered to be the greatest diver in Olympic history.
Greg Louganis
Louganis publicly came out as gay in 1994 but even before doing so, he already led somewhat of an openly gay life to which he overcame discrimination. This experience made him an avid LGBT activist. He was also the subject of a lot of documentaries in the past.
Sarah Hughes
At the 2002 Olympics, Sarah Hughes won her first gold figure skating medal at the age of 16 years old. She is the only American woman that won an Olympic title without winning any other titles in major competitions. During her homecoming, she was honored with a town parade. Senator Hillary Clinton spoke at the event and declared the same day, Sarah Hughes Day. Hughes also went on to receive the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the US.
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Sarah Hughes retired just a year after she gained fame. After her retirement, she has spent much of her time advocating about breast cancer as her mother had overcome the deadly disease. She graduated college at Yale and from Penn Law in 2018. She is also a member of the board of Trustees for the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Usain Bolt
Another widely popular athlete is Usain Bolt. He is considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time, considering his last name. He has won eight Olympic gold medals and is officially ranked as the world’s fastest man. To this day, Bolt holds three world records: 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays.
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His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the label “Lightning Bolt. He retired after the 2017 World Championships. Because he was so popular and the rest of the world could not get enough of him, he signed a sponsorship deal with Puma. He also did a couple of advertising work. Just last year though, he was tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered after self-isolating in his home.
Sanya Richards-Ross
Sanya Richards-Ross has achieved so much in her years of competitive track and field. She won three Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008 and the 2012 Olympic Games in the 4x400m relays. Somewhere between 2005 and 2009, Richards-Ross was considered the best greatest 400m runner in the world.
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She was forced to retire after she suffered a hamstring injury at the Olympic trials in July 2016. Instead of completely stepping away from the limelight because of her injury, she served as commentator for the track and field events at the Olympics. She also took on sponsorship deals from a variety of big brands and even starred in her own reality TV show. Lately, she’s doing hosting gigs and has her personal clothing line and organization supporting black women.
Shalane Flanagan
Shalane Flanagan did not just start off her career through Olympics. She was first a cross-country competitor before turning to marathon running. In the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing, she represented the US and won silver medal. If that wasn’t enough, she became the first woman to win the New York Marathon after four decades. This achievement was the icing on the cake for her career.
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Ever since she retired, she has taken on coaching for the cross-country team at the University of North Carolina. And in the fall of 2013, Flanagan has also volunteered as an assistant coach for the women cross country team at Portland State University. She has also published two cookbooks since with long-time college friend Elyse Kopecky.
George Foreman
George Foreman is a two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, dubbed as “Big George.” Avid fans would never forget the momentous fight between him and Mohammad Ali in 1974. The Ring ranked him as the ninth-greatest puncher of all time. He retired in 1997 with a record of 76 wins (68 knockouts) and 5 losses.
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Foreman became a successful entrepreneur outside of his boxing career. He was also known for his promotion of the George Foreman Grill, but he sold the commercial rights in 1999 for $138 million. He also appeared in two television episodes in 2003 and 2013.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is the king of all kings in the basketball court. He is as much of a household name as Michael Phelps not only because of his achievements in sports but also of his philanthropic nature. He has not only won a ton of NBA awards, but he’s also won two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1992. Jordan has retired from the sport not once, not twice but three times.
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However, even though his retirement from competitive sports is final, he is still very much involved in the game. He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. He has also starred in a lot of documentaries and movies. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history.
Venus & Serena Williams
Also known as The Williams Sisters, Venus and Serena Williams have both made names for themselves. They were made even more popular because of their appearances in Wimbledon and the US Opens. The sisters competed together as a team and because of their dynamics, they were able to win three gold medals as well as winning gold medals individually.
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Combined, the duo has won 122 singles titles, including 30 Grand Slam singles titles and have earned over $175 million in prize money. The sisters are still active in the sport and they both are active ambassadors for the empowerment of women and women of color in sports. They remain very close to this day, even watching each other’s matches in support.
Kerri Walsh-Jennings
Kerri Lee Walsh-Jennings is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a one-time Olympic bronze medalist. She is also one half of the “greatest beach volleyball team of all time” with Misty May-Treanor as the other half. She has about 133 victories and more than $2.5 million in winnings.
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She is the most decorated player in history and is such a charismatic and down-to-earth person. It’s not a surprise why a lot of people would call her “Six Feet of Sunshine.” Currently, Walsh-Jennings is in pursuit of her sixth Olympics.
Alicia Sacramone
Alicia Sacramone has been a very active child growing up. At just the tender age of eight years old, she started training gymnastics. She began competing at the elite level in 2002 and made the national team for the first time in 2003. She has won a silver medal with the US team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is also the second-most decorated American gymnast in World Champion history with 10 medals.
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In 2008, she and teammates Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin became the first female athletes to be signed as CoverGirl spokesmodels. She has also appeared in Gatorade’s commercial. In 2015, Sacramone was inducted as a 2016 class of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Marie Jenner has become popular for many things. Jenner first played college football until she incurred a knee injury that required surgery. Soon after, she was convinced to try the decathlon and went on from there. She competed in the 1976 Olympic Decathlon Games and won gold.
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Jenner was originally assigned male at birth, by the name of Bruce Jenner. However, she publicly came out as a trans woman back in April of 2015. But even then, she had already established a name for herself prior to her appearance on the Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality tv show. From 2015 to 2016, she went on to star on her own reality show called I Am Cait.
Aly Raisman
Aly Raisman’s talent and perseverance have led her to become competent at what she does. She was captain of both the 2012 “Fierce Five” and the 2016 “Final Five” US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. She made history at the 2012 Olympics held in London when she won gold medals in the team and floor competitions as well as bronze on the balance team – this made her the most decorated American gymnast at the Games.
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Raisman’s announcement regarding her retirement last January 2020 shocked the world. However, since testifying against Larry Nassar in 2017, she has grown the courage to speak out and become an advocate against sexual abuse and has raised awareness for the survivors. She also starred in Season 16 of Dancing With The Stars and finished fourth place.
Shaun White
Shaun White is as versatile you can get. He first got into skateboarding where he caught the attention of Tony Hawk himself and mentored him. Because of Hawk, White turned pro at only 17 years old. White is more notably known as a three-time Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. He even holds the record for most X-Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder. On top of that, he has won 10 ESPY Awards.
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Because of his popularity, White has signed sponsorship deals with a variety of big-league brands. He has also made a few cameos on film and television. More recently, he pursued a music career as lead guitarist with the band Bad Things.
Joanna Hayes
Joanna Hayes originally specialized in 400m hurdles. She competed in the 1999 Summer Universaide and won silver. She won gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. In 2004, she won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics held in Athens.
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Hayes was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2014. These days, she works as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Southern California. She also serves as a personal coach to professional runner Sydney McLaughlin.
Allyson Felix
Allyson Michelle Felix is the 200m dash, she was named the 2012 Olympic Champion. She is also a three-time World Champion from 2005 through to 2009. She also won silver during the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Felix is considered one of America’s fastest sprinters.
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Felix is married to Kenneth Ferguson, another athlete from America’s roster of sprinters and hurdlers. She gave birth to her daughter, Camryn, in 2018. Felix has also graced the pages of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.