Dominique Dawes

Dominique Dawes continues to inspire, motivate and lead—recently being appointed co-chair of the President’s Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition—and she remains to be the only gymnast to earn three team medals at three different Olympic Games.

Never content to rest on her phenomenal success as an Olympic gymnast—Dominique Dawes won a history-making bronze medal on the floor exercise as a key member of the gold medal women’s team in the 1996 Olympics—she remains active as a gymnastics coach and motivational coach in the sport. In an uplifting and spirited presentation, Dawes’ audiences learn that success is not a destination, but an ongoing journey toward achievement. Displaying the same focus and commitment that marked her gymnastics career capped by her selection as “Sportsperson of the Year,” this three-time Olympian maps out her own path to success as she explores her personal and professional setbacks and triumphs while motivating audiences to enhance their lives by incorporating these winning techniques. She encourages audiences to set ambitious goals, accomplish them and fulfill their own dreams.

From a very young age, Dawes displayed remarkable determination, dedication, and drive (D-3) to reach her full potential in the sport of gymnastics, all of which helped better prepare Dawes for the challenges in work and life. For ten years Dawes competed internationally in gymnastics qualifying to three different Olympics Games (’92, ’96, ’00). She is not only the African American gymnast to win an Olympic Gold medal; Dawes is also the only American gymnast to earn a team medal at three different Olympic Games.

Dawes has been captivating and motivating many audiences for over 14 years. After making history while winning Gold as a member of the “Magnificent 7” 1996 Gymnastics team, Dawes found her next passion in life—empowering and motivating others through her motivational speeches. In her presentations, Dawes shares her life’s journey full of setbacks, challenges, and a performance that changed her life forever. And, this is not her gold medal performance, but one of the largest defeats in her athletic career. When times got tough, Dawes stood strong and now she is aspiring to inspire the audiences like yours.

Success Is a Journey, Not a Destination

Dominique Dawes won Olympic gold. But for her, success is so much more than medals and accolades: it’s something she worked hard to achieve everyday en route to Olympic glory. Her journey in the sport of gymnastics lasted 18 years and in those years she stood strong on numerous podiums, leaving lasting impressions in the hearts of fans. The podium was the destination, but the long-term goal? It’s the moments in between—what she calls the “journey”—that helped her realize the success that she was always striving for. Overcoming the inevitable obstacles, challenges, and doubts are the moments in the journey that build the champion in Dawes. Surrounding herself with the right team, developing the mindset to persevere and turning negative situations into life lessons is how Dawes realized Success Is a Journey, NOT a Destination.

E.N.V.I.S.I.O.N.: Reaching Your Full Potential!

ENVISION is Dawes’ signature message. It is also the title of her motivational line of products. ENVISION is an acronym for the 8 principles that helped Dawes become successful in and out of the athletic arena. She crafts this speech specifically to motivate and empower the audience to envision greatness in their own lives. The core focuses are passion, plan, and perseverance.

Building a Strong Foundation for Success

Building a solid foundation was one of the keys to Dawes’ success. Her emphasis on a solid foundation touches on multiples areas: from healthy lifestyle choices to developing positive self-esteem where she addresses issues such as peer pressures, productive attitudes, and values. The audience will walk away empowered, motivated, and, more importantly, clear on what it takes to build a strong foundation worthy of your dreams.

Got D-3? Determination, Dedication, Desire

D-3 became Dawes’ personal motto when she was an Olympic athlete in the making. Fatigue, frustration, and loss of focus was common is such a perfectionist sport. D-3 kept Dawes focused on what was going to allow her to stay on the path to success. She paints a vivid picture of moments in the gymnastics arena where D-3 inspired her to persevere through setbacks and struggles, sacrifices and insecurities, en route to Olympic Gold. D-3 has become a staple in Dawes’ athletic and professional accomplishments. She inspires audiences to develop their own personal motto that will help define and direct them in life too!

Women’s Health & Heart Disease

Dominique Dawes has worked with the American Heart Association as the spokesperson for the Choose to Move program for years, advancing their goal of informing everyone on how to combat cardiovascular disease. In this keynote presentation, she focuses on the benefits of smart nutrition, everyday exercise, and commonsense core habits that each of us can implement to avoid the number one killer of women: cardiovascular disease.