Friday, August 03, 2012

Music Friday With a Video Tribute to Gold Medalist Gabrielle Douglas

Gabrielle Douglas made Olympic history yesterday by becoming the first American gymnast to win a gold medal in both the team and all-around competitions. The 16-year-old Douglas impressed the world with her high-flying, world-class performances in four different disciplines (balance beam, uneven bars, floor exercise and vault).

To honor Ms. Douglas' stellar accomplishment, we've made her the subject of Music Friday, our regular feature that highlights tunes with gems, jewelry or precious metals (medals?) in the title or theme.

Today's inspirational video is a musical tribute to this dedicated and talented athlete, who left her home in Virginia Beach, Va., at the age of 12 to live and train with a top-level gymnastics coach in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nicknamed the “Flying Squirrel” for her amazing ability to seemingly defy gravity during her routines, Douglas was inspired by a phone call from President Barack Obama on Wednesday, when he personally congratulated her for winning her first gold medal and encouraged her to "keep at it."

Set to the Kanye West song, "All of the Lights," the video gives an inside look at the athlete as she talks about leaving home at a young age, the challenges of being away from her family and how she sees herself as a role model. We also see highlights of her rise to fame.

West's song, featuring vocals by Rihanna and Kid Cudi, was released in 2011 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song.

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