CHESAPEAKE — The question being asked by some of those who gathered at Dick’s House of Sport on Saturday morning was, “What athlete would you stand in line for an autograph?”
What about at 4 a.m.?
Alana Nelson got up early to take 10-year-old daughter Everleigh to get an autograph from former Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas. She was in town to celebrate Dick’s Sporting Goods’ one-year anniversary of the House of Sport.
“We woke up at 3:30 this morning,” said Nelson, whose daughter competes with Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics. “I based that decision (to wake up) on math. She’s only going to be here 90 minutes. This is obviously an Olympic year. Gabby did amazing leading up the Olympic Trials, and everyone was so excited to see her come back.”
Nelson remembers watching Douglas win gold at the 2012 Olympics as the all-around champion, way before her daughter was born.
“It’s so exciting to be able share this with my own daughter, especially during an Olympic year,” she said.
Hearing how early fans lined up shocked Douglas and her mother, Natalie.
“Oh my God, I can’t even fathom that. Four o’clock in the morning?” Douglas said. “It’s like Black Friday, almost. It’s actually crazy. I’m like, ‘No, you should have slept in.’ ”
Added her mother: “4 a.m.? That’s mind-blowing. But it’s beautiful to see the impact that’s she had, and that so many girls can see themselves in her. I can remember after 2012, people camping out overnight when she was doing the book signings in New York. They were standing outside and it was raining. It takes me back to that time. But still, wow. I almost don’t have words for that. I’m still in awe. I’m beyond words to see all the support.”
But fans, both young and old, know all about Douglas’ accomplishments.
In the 2012 London Olympics, Douglas gained national attention when she won Olympic gold in the all-around and was a member of the winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team. She is the first Black athlete to become the Olympic individual all-around champion and the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics.
After her accomplishment, she was on the front of cereal boxes, had a Barbie doll modeled after her, became an author and starred in a reality television show for the Oxygen channel.
Jeff Holden, executive director at Dick’s Sporting Goods, knew Douglas would be a big draw. He didn’t realize just how big.
“When I got here at 7 a.m., there was already 120 people in line, and the first person was here at 4 a.m.,” he said. “By the time we opened at 9 to let them in to get their wristbands, we had more than 300. It’s really cool because you have such an amazing amount of young athletes that are coming to see her, so they’re super excited.”
Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas was back in Hampton Roads on Saturday to sign autographs as part of Dick's House of Sports one-year anniversary. The line stretched all through the store as some fans had been in line since 4 am pic.twitter.com/2EHw7uyZy8
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) July 27, 2024
Lines grew and snaked through the store by the minute as fans patiently awaited for Douglas’ arrival.
“I think it’s just cool to see a famous gymnast. I’m nervous, but also very, very excited,” said Delaney Cone, 12, of Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics. “But I’ve seen videos of her, and she’s awesome.”
Heaven Rheubottom, 8, is a level five state champion. She also couldn’t wait to see Douglas.
“It’s very important to me because I love her, and she’s just really famous,” said Heaven, who competes for Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics.
She was asked what would she tell Douglas if she got the chance.
“I would say, ‘I love you so much. You’re my idol,’ ” she said.
Her father, Deon, couldn’t believe his daughter’s anticipation.
“Man, she was excited. I don’t think she slept last night. I woke up about 6 o’clock, and she was like, ‘Daddy, are you ready?’ ” said Rheubottom, a former two-time All-Tidewater football player at Bayside High.
Douglas, who hadn’t been back to Hampton Roads since 2012, said she was humbled by the response of her fans and added, “it’s good to be back home.”
Douglas, 28, had hoped to be at this year’s Olympics in Paris, but suffered an ankle injury the week leading up to the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. She’s now eying the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The message she hopes to leave with all of the up-and-coming gymnasts is to never give up, but also enjoy the sport while you can.
“I would say, since they’re so young, ‘have fun with it,’ ” said Douglas, whose gymnastics equipment used at the 2012 Summer Olympics is at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. “Don’t try to put too much on yourself because the sport already has a lot of pressure that comes with it. It gets very serious when you get older. So right now in that stage, just have fun with it.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
