Dominique Dawes
- 3-Time Olympic Gymnast, Olympic Gold Medalist
- First African American Gymnast to Qualify for the Olympic Games
- Empowers audiences to embrace a team mentality, use failure as fuel, and believe in the power of their dreams
In Person-Fee 🛈
Fee Range
$30,000 - $50,000
Virtual Fee:
$15,000 - $20,000
Travels From
District of Columbia
Dominique Dawes Speaker Biography
Owner of the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academies, Dominique Dawes opened the gyms to continue her commitment to developing a healthy and compassionate culture in the sport of gymnastics. Her first academy opened in the midst of a global pandemic, in July 2020, her second location opened in 2023, and she will be opening her third Academy in 2024 located in Columbia, MD. Dawes holds minority ownership of the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League, and she also became part of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons ownership group as a Limited Partner in 2024. Dominique served as the co-chair of the President’s Council for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under the Obama administration alongside Drew Brees. Alongside LeBron James and Maverick Carter, she served as Executive Producer of the Peacock docu-series “Golden”, the journey of USA’s elite gymnasts on the road to the Tokyo Olympics, which was nominated for a Sports Emmy.
Dawes holds her degree from the University of Maryland and was inducted into UMD's prestigious Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2024, her hometown of Montgomery County, Maryland honored her career and legacy with a life-size statue to continue inspiring the next generation to follow in her footsteps.
As a wife, mother of four, Olympian, and business owner, Dominique Dawes has transcended the world of sports, politics, entertainment and culture.
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.
October 6, 2021