How Gabby Douglas Achieved a Net Worth of $4 Million
If you’ve heard of the “Fierce Five,” you’ll know that the name refers to a group of gymnasts who stormed the competitive world during the 2012 Olympics in London. One of the standouts from the group, Gabby Douglas, has had the potential to make a lot of money from her performances. Keep reading to see how Gabby progressed throughout her career and what her net worth is today.
Early Promise of a Successful Gymnastics Career
Gabby’s gymnastic training began after she and her sister convinced their mom to let them take lessons. The athlete’s natural talent and skill for the sport became evident, and the future champion got herself a title in 2004 at the Virginia State Championships. Douglas was only eight years old at the time!
Because of the young gymnast’s potential, her entire family moved from their home in Virginia Beach, VA, to West Des Moines, IA, so Gabby could train with esteemed coach Liang Chow. Early achievements include:
- Fourth place for the all-around event in the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup
- Tied for third on the uneven bars at the Visa Championships in 2011
- Placed seventh all-around in the 2011 Visa Championships
- Gabby earned a place on the senior national team for the 2011 world championships, where the team, also known as the “Fierce Five,” earned gold
- Douglas also landed herself in fifth place for the uneven bars
As a side note, Gabby gained notoriety due to her uncanny ability to master the uneven bars. As a result, the US Team Coordinator, Martha Karolyi, gave her the nickname “the flying squirrel,” to the delight of both Douglass and her fans.
The importance of the gymnasts’ early successes can’t be underestimated. The more she achieved, the more the athlete would gain the attention of future trainers and sponsors.
A Journey Fraught With Narrow Hits and Misses
Like any hard-training athlete, Douglas had some physical setbacks that temporarily prevented her from competing. In 2009, she fractured her wrist and had to step back from major events, stalling her career until she was cleared to compete in 2010.
The precision with which a gymnast needs to perform at national levels demands perfection. It doesn’t matter how close you came to winning a medal or title. The only name sponsors care about is the one that wins.
Gabby’s 2012 year of competition started out a bit shaky, but she rallied when the scores really mattered. During that year, the athlete:
- Lost the all-around gold at the 2012 Visa Championships to the reigning national and world all-around champion, Jordyn Weiber, by a narrow margin
- Earned gold for the uneven bars at the Visa Championships that year
- Earned bronze in the floor exercise at the Visa Championships in 2012
- Just a short while later, Gabby was able to beat Weiber to claim the all-around title at the US Olympic trials
- At the 2012 Olympics in London, Gabby and her team were able to get gold, which was the first gold medal won for the US in this event since 1996
- Douglas was able to earn the top overall score during the all-around event
- While she didn’t earn medals in the balance beam and uneven bars events, she did place in seventh and eighth place
Four years later, Gabby Douglas returned to compete in the Olympics and got her third Olympic gold. Douglas said on the Olympics website, “Gold medals are made out of your sweat, blood, and tears, and effort in the gym every day, and sacrificing a lot.” Now that’s the commitment and determination it takes to inspire and represent some of the best brands out there.
Hard Work, Excellent Results, and Lucrative Sponsorships
The hard work and charm that Gabby combines while competing make America and the world take notice of her. This works in her favor, especially when it comes to brand endorsements.
There’s no shortage of incredible athletes globally, but they must have something extra to inspire people to purchase products from any brand. Douglas proved she was the best choice for many endorsements when she took the Olympics by storm and captivated people everywhere.
Sponsorships and endorsements include:
- Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
- Procter & Gamble (includes brands like Secret, Covergirl, Olay, and Pantene)
- Nintendo
While the Olympian doesn’t list many endorsements, those that got her on board are business giants. These brands know that the value of an Olympic hero and Douglas’s hard work likely paid off when signing on with them.
What About Awards Outside of the Gym?
Gabby Douglas and her Olympic teammates touched many viewers’ hearts, leading to nominations for awards outside the competition arena. Some of the awards Douglas received nominations for include:
- 2013 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Female Athlete: Winner
- 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards (US) for Favorite Female Athlete: Nominee
- 2013 ESPY Awards for Best Athlete, Female Gymnastics: Nominee
- 2013 BET Awards for Young Stars Award: Winner
- 2014 BET Awards for Young Stars Award: Nominee
The notice this gymnast received from so many facets of the world proves how unique and valuable Douglas is. For any woman to touch that many people’s hearts, she deserves to enjoy her fame and fortune, however large it might be.
Moving Beyond Gymnastics in Her Own Way
Many athletes put all their value into how they perform, but Douglas isn’t one of them. Instead, she gathered all her experience as a gymnast and everything she’s learned along the way and put it into an autobiography.
The book, “Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith,” came out in 2012, coinciding with her streak of success that year. It became a New York Times Young Adult Bestseller.
Douglas released a follow-up book the following year called, “Raising the Bar.” For anyone to write and release two books by the age of 17 is pretty impressive. It’s also an excellent source of continuous income with the right publishing deal.
Making a Name in Television
It makes sense that Gabby would dabble in television. Gymnastics is all about performance, after all!
She appeared on the popular reality competition show, The Masked Dance, in 2021. If you haven’t seen it, you may want to. Spoiler alert: she’s the winner!
Other television projects include her own story, The Gabby Douglas Story, on Lifetime Channel. While the gymnast didn’t take on the starring role, she reportedly was the one who performed all of the gymnastics required for the film.
The movie was released in 2015 and was honored with some award nominations. The film’s wins included the MovieGuide Awards for the Faith and Freedom and Grace Award.
The athlete also starred in her own reality show, Douglas Family Gold. It follows the gymnast as she prepares to earn a spot on the National Team for the 2016 Olympics.
Gabby Douglas Net Worth
When it comes to athletes, knowing what their net worth is can be tricky. Between sponsorships, endorsements, and personal projects, the income is there, but just how much does an Olympic gymnast have as their net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gabby Douglas has a net worth of about $4 million. The business-savvy athlete has worked hard to build her sizable fortune. Her continued growth as a TV personality allows her to keep building her worth and enjoying her well-earned, comfortable life.
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Written by Allen Lee
Read more posts by Allen Lee
