Aly Raisman

Alexandra Rose "Aly" Raisman (born May 25, 1994) is an American artistic gymnast. She was the captain of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team, dubbed the Fierce Five by the media, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won gold medals in the team and floor competitions, as well as a bronze medal on the balance beam making her the most decorated American gymnast at the London Games. She was also a member of the gold-winning American team at the 2011 and the 2015 World Championships.

In 2013, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars where she finished fourth.

Personal life

Raisman was born on May 25, 1994, in Needham, Massachusetts to Lynn (née Faber) and Rick Raisman. Raisman is Jewish. Her mother is a former high school gymnast. She has three younger siblings, Brett, Chloe, and Madison.

Raisman began gymnastics at a very young age. She said, "I got involved when I was two years old when my mom put me in Mommy and Me classes, I always had a lot of energy so it was the perfect fit! I have always loved it ever since!" Raisman trained at Exxcel Gymnastics and Climbing through Level 8, when she moved to Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club under coaches Mihai and Silvia Brestyan. She trained alongside Alicia Sacramone, of whom Raisman said, "She's kind of like my older sister. I can ask her about anything because I know that she's been through it all. She knows what it takes to get there, so watching her work so hard in the gym everyday is really helpful. I love watching her because she's such a beautiful gymnast, she's so powerful, and has the whole package." Raisman attributes her first love for gymnastics as the gold-medal winning U.S. women's team at the 1996 Summer Olympics, colloquially known as the Magnificent Seven. She insists that she used to watch their performances on a VHS tape and was 'obsessed' with it.