Alerts Sign-up
When asked about the glory days of the Olympics, Dominique Dawes, a three-time Olympian and Hall of Fame gymnast, emphasized her focus on family and faith. "That door is closed," she said during an interview at the Women of the World Festival Baltimore.
Instead of chasing Olympic dreams for her children, Dawes aims for them to be "champions in life." She shared, "It’s more important to me as a mom for them to be champions in life,” passing her Olympic gold medal around as a symbol of past victories. But her children's future, she stressed, should not be about replicating her athletic achievements.
Dawes, now 48, values her Catholic faith deeply. At the WOW Festival hosted by Notre Dame of Maryland University, she reflected on the role of faith in her life, stating, "Catholicism is truly everything to me."
In addition to her roles as a wife and mother, Dawes advocates for a healthy sporting environment through her Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academy. This initiative addresses the "toxic culture" in gymnastics, offering children a "safe, fun and supportive environment." Her experiences with abuse in the sport fueled this effort. "We want to do things the right way," she explained.
The past experiences with sports culture motivated her academy, which is expanding with two new locations in Ashburn, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland.
Dawes spoke candidly about abuse in competitive sports, referencing Larry Nassar, the former U.S. Women’s National Gymnastics team doctor currently serving a prison sentence. Recalling her own experiences, she warned against letting children move away to train: "Do not let your children move away and live with their coaches!"
Reflecting on her spiritual journey, Dawes shared her connection with the Catholic Church during a difficult time in her life, emphasizing, "I would sit in the church and instead of listening to the noise of the world, I would sit in complete silence and wait to hear from him (Christ)."
Despite the struggle of losing a first set of twins, Dawes focuses on faith over accolades, sharing that her family's home does not display her Olympic memorabilia. They prioritize faith, which provides them "things to hold onto."
Carole Norris Greene contributed to this article for the Catholic Review, a publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
