Heart of a Champion: The Dominique Dawes Story
By Kim Washburn
5/5
()
About this ebook
Dominique Dawes made history as the first African American woman to win an individual Olympic medal, and her trailblazing story is presented in Heart of a Champion, a biography perfect for readers eight and up, and anyone interested in learning about one of the greatest gymnasts in American history.
Long before Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles entered a gym, Dominique Dawes was a young African American girl focused on her dream—and nothing would stop her from reaching it. Although the odds were against her, by the time she was nineteen years old she stood on an Olympic podium to receive a historic gold medal in women’s gymnastics, as well as numerous other impressive accolades—including medals in a record three Olympics—over her long career. Discover how her faith in God and hard work led her to become one of the top gymnasts in the world. Let her story and her motto of “determination, dedication, and desire” encourage you to become all you can be, in competition and in life.
Heart of a Champion:
- includes a special note from Dominique Dawes
- contains quotes from and photos of Dominique that follow her life from childhood to her work with President Obama and Michelle Obama on physical fitness
- is perfect for school reports and assignments
- is an inspiring story for gymnastics fans as well as anyone with a dream
Kim Washburn
Kim Washburn comenzó su carrera en el mundo editorial con Enfoque a la Familia. Después de trabajar en el equipo de mercadeo para los libros de esa organización, se convirtió en editora asociada para su revista mensual. Desde 1997 estuvo a cargo de evaluar obras para jóvenes, escribió textos originales y ayudo a crear una revista refinada, entretenida y edificante. Dios de sus historias fueron premiadas por la Asociación Evangélica de Prensa, incluyendo un primer lugar en la categoría ficción.
Related to Heart of a Champion
Titles in the series (100)
Farraday Road Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Intervention Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Case for Faith for Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A March Bride Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evidence of Mercy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Written on Silk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Premiere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coming Home: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Slow Burn: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wounded Healer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A January Bride Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ever After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51 Peter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Lady’s Honor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grace Notes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Secrets of Sloane House Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Private Justice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coral Moon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Case for Christ for Kids Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Wishing Tree: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart of Stone: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Downfall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Edge of Apocalypse: A Joshua Jordan Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Daisy Chain: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior's Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Treason Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Never Again Good-Bye Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Swope's Ridge Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related ebooks
Finding Our Balance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding The Perfect Balance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWinning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Know This to Be True: Simone Biles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen It Counts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simone Biles, 2nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe End of the Perfect 10: The Making and Breaking of Gymnastics' Top Score —from Nadia to Now Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Water They Can't See You Cry: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ice Dance: On the Ice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elena Mukhina Olympic Champion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students, and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5On Edge Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Always Smile: Carley Allison’s Secrets for Laughing, Loving and Living Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFat Boy Running: The Partial Biography of a Complete Nobody Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSand Dollar Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5At First Blush Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Flip Side Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Salty, Bitter, Sweet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSecrets by the Bay Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Was That Thunder?: More Than a Boston Marathon Bombing Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChadwick Boseman: Forever Our King 1976-2020 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWHY NOT ME?: A Lifelong Journey of 1%'ers & Becoming a World Champion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaking it in High Heels 2: For Future Leaders and Role Models: For Future Leaders and Role Models Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrawl of Fame Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEnergy to Live with an Athlete's Heartbeat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMove, Train, Nourish: The Sustainable Way to a Healthier You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's Biography & Autobiography For You
The Hiding Place Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little House on the Prairie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Farmer Boy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lincoln: A Photobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cross and the Switchblade: The True Story of One Man's Fearless Faith Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Snowman: The True Story of a Champion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dav Pilkey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prairie Girl: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki: and the Thousand Paper Cranes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Farewell to Manzanar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hitler's Last Days: The Death of the Nazi Regime and the World's Most Notorious Dictator Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amanda Gorman: Inspiring Hope with Poetry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Kids' Guide to the American Revolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMartin Luther King, Jr.: A Life of Fairness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities and Thought Experiments Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jeff Kinney Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5U.S. Presidents Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sackler Family: The Empire of Pain: How the Sacklers Founded a Pharmaceuticals Dynasty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bessie Coleman: Bold Pilot Who Gave Women Wings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Heart of a Champion
1 rating1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5a for awesome
Book preview
Heart of a Champion - Kim Washburn
Heart
of a
Champion
the
Dominique Dawes
Story
Kim Washburn
For ABB, AVJ, and ALK
Gutsy girls who leave me laughing and inspired.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Chapter 1: Success Under Pressure
Chapter 2: The Blessings That Brought Her Here
Chapter 3: What Teamwork Can Do
Chapter 4: Nothing Less Than Perfect
Chapter 5: Breakthrough and Clean Sweep
Chapter 6: Long Road to Magnificent Gold
Chapter 7: Audiences Fit for Rock Stars
Chapter 8: Back to the Mat
Chapter 9: Following Her Heart
Chapter 10: The Challenges That Need a Champion
Chapter 11: What She Missed the First Three Times
Chapter 12: When the White House Calls
Chapter 13: Building on the Foundation
Endnotes
About the Author
Other books in the Zonderkidz Biography Series:
Copyright
About the Publisher
Share Your Thoughts
Introduction
Thank you for reading about my journey in the sport of gymnastics. I pray that you are able to find your own D-3
Determination Dedication Desire from my story.
Aspiring to Inspire!
Chapter 1
Success Under Pressure
Success is a journey not a destination.
In less than a minute, she will attack her routine with the stature of a pixie, the power of a firework, and the flexibility of Elastigirl. But until she gets the signal, Dominique Dawes quietly stands at the edge of the spring floor, shouldering the pressure and clearing her thoughts.
The crowd buzzes in the arena and TV commentators list her accomplishments. But in her mind Dominique turns down the volume of all the distractions just like she turned down the volume when she watched gymnastics on TV at home.
She takes a breath and waits. She has been in this position before and she knows what she has to do. Although still a teenager, Dominique is by all accounts an experienced veteran.
For twelve years, she has trained to do tricks that defy gravity despite the weight of the situation. Still sometimes the physical gymnastics came easier than the mental ones. How does one simply set aside past setbacks and future goals, minor mistakes and big dreams?
The petite and powerful girl in the blue velvet leotard sees her signal. Without blinking Dominique steps inside the corner of the mat, takes another breath, and focuses. The music sweeps through the speakers.
Dominique takes two hard-charging steps, then launches into the air like on springs. When she lands in the opposite corner, she doesn’t stop or even pause before propelling herself in the opposite direction. With dizzying speed she successfully completes no less than eleven tricks on one supersonic up-and-back tumbling pass.
The roar of the crowd overtakes the music but Dominique has practiced so many hours, she doesn’t miss a beat. With pointed toes, straight legs, perfect posture, and jumps that are higher than a grown man’s head, she performs her routine with precision and power. Timing her last movement with the last note, the crowd cheers enthusiastically. She raises her arms with the posture of a champion.
Back on the side of her mat, Dominique meets her coach — the dedicated instructor and positive guide whose face she has looked up to since her first somersault. Dominique accepts the congratulations, smiles briefly, listens to the feedback, and waits for the score.
Would her performance be enough to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in twenty-five years? She waits for the judges.
Dominique tumbles through the floor exercise into first place overall in the 1994 Senior Women’s US National Gymnastics Championships in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dominique had been in a gym for a decade, making the most of the gifts God had given her. Although her strong muscles masked a fragile self-esteem, she persevered through difficulties and dedicated her life to rare, elite competition. Her incredible accomplishments belied a young girl under significant pressure to be perfect — because even if God doesn’t require perfection, the international judges do.
Slow minutes pass and the score is posted. She looks at the three small numbers, one step toward a gigantic achievement: Dominique wins the all-around portion of the competition — and goes on to win each of the four individual events as well. By the end of the meet, she is the first gymnast in twenty-five years to sweep the board.
The significant accomplishment is one in a long line. By age 23 Dominique won more national championship medals than any other athlete — boy or girl — since 1963, became the only American to medal in an unprecedented three Olympics, was the first African-American to win an Olympic individual medal as well as win Olympic gold with her artistic gymnastic team, was the first African-American national champion.
But this story is getting ahead of itself. This account is far more than a long list of unique accomplishments and accolades. It’s a rolling, twisting journey of passion, challenge, inspiration, heartbreak, humility, and life lessons. It didn’t begin with a score from a judge. And it certainly doesn’t end there.
Chapter 2
The Blessings That Brought Her Here
There was always an emphasis on a strong foundation.
This story really starts in 1976. The summer Olympic Games of the XXI Olympiad were held in Montreal, Canada, where the gymnastic competition was dominated by Eastern European teams and a fourteen-year-old Romanian named Nadia Comãneci. That year no female gymnast from the United States won a medal.
Five hundred miles away in Silver Spring, Maryland, a little girl with a big Olympic future was born. Dominique Margaux Dawes was the second daughter of Don and Loretta. A coordinated ball of energy, she kept everyone on their toes and did her best to keep up with her four-year-old big sister, Danielle.
Dad was dedicated to the family business he inherited from his father. Often up at three in the morning and back at eight in the evening, he worked hard to earn a living. Mom worked at home keeping the financial books for the business. Meanwhile the sisters bounced around the furniture, spent time with close cousins, and helped around the house as they got older.
The girls had their own rooms until Dominique was six, when her brother, Don Jr., was born. Then the sisters started sharing a room and a bunk bed.