DEKALB COUNTY Ga. — Olympic gold medalist, Gabby Douglas, was the featured speaker at Sharon Barnes Sutton’s youth empowerment breakfast that was held on Saturday, August 10, at the Marriott Evergreen Resort in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Douglas spoke to an audience full of youth, their families and notable DeKalb County leaders who attended the breakfast which benefits the Youth Leadership Academy. Barnes, who is the District 4 DeKalb County Commissioner, founded the Academy in 2008.
Photo shows Gabby Douglas during an interview with Barbara Walters ’10 Most Fascinating People.’
The theme for this year’s event was “Releasing the Power Within…Moving Forward!”
Sutton told the audience, “We’re so proud to have her [Gabby] here this morning, and we’re grateful that she’s also committed to helping youth reach their fullest potential.”
Douglas, who was named Female Athlete of the Year in December of 2012, touched on her family’s past struggles and their determination to make sure she succeeded in her goals.
“My mom, siblings and my family keeps me grounded,” said Douglas. “They have really been a blessing. You definitely need a support system, a foundation because that’s what helped me. If I didn’t have that I wouldn’t have accomplished anything in life — they helped me through those tough times.”
“I used to doubt myself, but people always told me to believe in myself,” said Douglas. “Go out there and shine, smile and enjoy yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to and that’s why I wanted to share my story.”
Watch Gabby Douglas on Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People
Gabby Douglas is a Gold Medal gymnast and member of the Gold Medal US Women’s Gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas became the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to be crowned the individual all-around champion and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. The Associated Press named her the Female Athlete of the Year in December of 2012, becoming the fourth gymnast to receive the honor. If you would like to book Olympic speakers like Gabby Douglas for a speaking engagement, autograph signing or product endorsement, you can request Gabby Douglas agent and speaker fees at Sports Speakers 360 or call 1.855.303.5450.
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