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Issue link: http://magazine.kcm.org/i/327405
‘I’ve Raised an Olympian’ by Ronald C. Jordan The atmosphere inside London's North Greenwich Arena was anything but hushed, as 16-year-old Gabby Douglas stepped up to perform the last of four routines as a member of the U.S. gymnastics team competing in the 2012 Olympics. Seated in the stands among a sea of cheering spectators, Natalie Hawkins breathed deeply—anticipating her daughter’s next move. For nearly 20 years, even before Gabrielle Douglas was born in Newport News, Va., life had been pretty much a day-to-day struggle for Natalie as she faced financial pressures and endured a strained marriage relationship, while raising four small children. Her latest attempt at survival, filing for bankruptcy to save her home and keep a roof over her family's head, had threatened her last ounce of strength. Not to mention that just seven months before making the Olympic team, Gabby had announced to her family that she wanted to quit and come home. The stress of being away from her family had taken its toll on her. Sitting there with her three children at her side, none of that seemed to matter to Natalie at the moment. What did matter was that her daughter was living out her lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics. And in the next few moments, Gabrielle Douglas could literally somersault her way into an Olympic title—and a gold medal! “When the scores came up, and we realized she had won the gold, we were speechless,” Natalie recalls of the excitement she, daughters Arielle and Joyelle, and son, Johnathan, felt. “It was as though God had restored everything we had lost, and in one single moment, rewarded us for our faithfulness to keep trusting in Him through all the struggles and hardships.” It’s been two years now since Gabby Douglas garnered triple honors in August 2012, making Olympic history by becoming the first African-American gymnast to become the individual all-around champion; the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics; and the only American all-around champion to win multiple gold medals. Natalie still gets emotional whenever she talks about her daughter’s accomplishments and reflects on the struggles the family endured along the way. Only the brightness of her beautiful smile overshadows the sadness her eyes sometimes reflect when she remembers those times—times where Natalie found herself on a perpetual roller coaster that, for years, brought more downs than ups. No Reason to Be Ashamed “Life was just incredibly difficult for us back then,” Natalie says, responding in a tone that sometimes reflects both regret and sadness. But she won’t dwell on either. “I can’t stay sad about anything that happened back then because, I know through every moment of it, God was right there,” she says. “There were times I wanted to give up, and times that I actually did. But even when I gave up on Him, He never gave up on me! 12 : JULY '14