SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Black gymnasts are raving after seeing an all-Black podium for the first time in Olympic history.
I met with one today at the Motor City Flip Factory, and she told me the impact for her life was life-changing.
Laila Wilson is a competitive gymnast. She placed gold in the last competition.
After seeing Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Rebecca Andrade standing side by side on the Paris Olympics podium Monday, Laila says her gymnastic life was given new meaning.
For the last seven years, Laila has been training for competitive gymnastics, with her coach Bridget McDonald. She began the sport when she was three, and it is something she says she hopes to make a profession out of.
“I want to go to the Olympics one day,” she said.
And her coach says with hard work and the proper training, Laila can fulfill her dreams.
“Gymnastics is hard on the body,” said McDonald. “But you want to be able to walk, you want to be able to function. And so I really think that black and brown gymnasts need to make sure that they get good technique, education, and that they’re not learning happenstance.”
Laila says she agrees with her coach--and on Monday, the proof of good training was in the pudding.
“I was really proud for them because I know they’ve been working so hard for it,” said Wilson, 16.
And putting the work in like Simone, Jordan, and Rebecca is what coach Bridgette says makes you a winner in gymnastics.
”I’m always telling my girls keep your legs straight,” said McDonald. “Point your toes, all of that—they did it. I’m always telling my girls get your arms up and they did it. And so they see that doing the hard skills requires proper technique and those girls were doing it. They put in the work, they. Put in the work.”
