Alexandra Rose Raisman Bio

Alexandra Rose Raisman (born May 25 April 1994) is a retired American artistic gymnast and two-time Olympian. She was the American women's Olympic gymnastics team captain for both the 2012 and 2016 "Fierce Five" U.S. teams. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal in the team competition as well as her co-teammate Gabby Douglas the sole Americans who have won back-to-back team gold medals. Raisman was awarded silver medals in the individual all-around, and floor exercise. Raisman received silver medals for the all-around individual, as well as the floor exercise. She was also the two-time national champion of floor exercise (2012,2015) as well as the 2012 national champion on the balance beam, and five-time medalist at national championships in all around (silver in 2016, and silver in 2012, 2011 (2012), and in 2013 and 2015). In 2013 she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Raisman was the daughter of Lynn Faber, an ex-high school gymnast and Rick Raisman, on May 25 1994, in Needham. She has three younger siblings: Brett, Chloe, and Madison. Raisman is Jewish and has stated that "I enjoy being able not only to represent the U.S.A but also the Jewish Community across the world." "Raisman began gymnastics when she was 18 months old. She attributes her early attraction to the sport to the "Magnificent Seven", a U.S. women's gymnastics team that won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She trained at Exxcel Gymnastics and Climbing until Level 8. After that, she joined Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club with coaches Mihai and Silvia Brestyan. Raisman graduated from Needham High School in 2012 after having completed her senior year with online courses while training to compete in the Olympics.