Alexandra Rose Raisman Bio

Alexandra Rose Raisman was born May 25, 1994. She is a retired American artist gymnast. She was the captain of the 2012 "Fierce Five" and the 2016 "Final Five,"" U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team. She won a team gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Gabby Douglas and Raisman are the only Americans who have won back-to-back gold medals from this event. Raisman also earned silver in the individual all-around and floor exercises. Raisman also received silver medals for the individual all-around and for floor exercise. She also is two-time national champion in floor exercise (2012 and 2015), and the 2012 champion of the national championship in balance beam. She is also an all-time champion of the national all-around at national championships (silver and bronze in 2010, 2011, 2012 and the year 2015). In 2013 she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Raisman was the daughter of Lynn Faber, the former gymnast from high school as well as Rick Raisman, on May 25 1994, in Needham. She has three younger sisters: Madison, Chloe, & Brett. Raisman is Jewish and has stated that "I really enjoy being able to not just be a representative of the U.S.A but as well the Jewish Community everywhere." Raisman started gymnastics when she was 18 months old. She attributes her love for gymnastics to the "Magnificent Seven", an American women's squad that took home the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She began her training at Exxcel Gymnastics and Climbing up to Level 8, and then went to Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club, where she was instructed by Silvia Brestyan and Mihai Brestyan. Raisman was a graduate of Needham High School in 2012 after having completed her senior year online courses while training for the Olympics.