Aly Raisman

An American gymnast who served as captain on the 2012 gold medal-winning Olympic team, Aly Raisman herself won both individual gold and bronze medals at the Summer Olympics in London, England. Born Alexandra Rose Raisman on May 25, 1993 in Needham, MA, Raisman first began gymnastics when she was just two years old and moved on to train at Exxcel Gymnastics and Climbing. She then began working under coaches Mihai and Silvia Brestyan at Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club. On the junior level, Raisman did well, but never placed higher than third. It was not until 2010 that she began winning gold, silver and bronze at the Visa Championships (2010-12), American Cup (2010-12) and Pacific Rim Championships (2010). As a member of the U.S. team, she took home a silver medal at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam and a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. Also in Tokyo, Raisman earned an individual bronze medal for the floor exercise. In 2012, Raisman and the other members of the U.S. Olympic team became the first women's gymnasts to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, which was a prelude to the greatness they displayed less than two months later in London. Alongside Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber - also known as the Fierce Five - Raisman excelled on the balance beam and the floor exercise to help her team win gold. As an individual, she won a bronze medal for the balance beam and Olympic gold for her floor routine. Following her triumph at the Summer Olympics, where she made the media rounds and even visited the White House, Raisman bruised her knee during a tour of gymnastics champions in California. Meanwhile, she had become something of a celebrity, landing endorsement deals with Ralph Lauren, American Girl, Poland Spring and Elite Sportswear. In 2013, Raisman was also named a contestant on the 16th season of the popular dance competition, "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ).