Gabby Douglas accomplished a slew of firsts in London, becoming the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the team and all-around competitions. She’s also the first African-American gymnast to win all-around gold.

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Douglas first started making waves at the AT&T American Cup, where she scored better than teammate Jordyn Wieber, but did not win the event because she was competing as an alternate. She repeated the performance at U.S. Olympic Trials, outpointing the more celebrated Wieber to secure her spot on the Olympic team.

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After suffering an ankle injury at the Pacific Rim Championships – while trying to deal with the stress of her father serving in Afghanistan – Douglas almost walked away from the sport. Thankfully for her (and the rest of us), she didn’t. And the rest is history.

MORE: Olympic athletes are becoming stars in London. Find out what makes them tick.

Douglas watched Liang Chow coach Shawn Johnson during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, which led her to leave her home in Virginia Beach at age 14 and move to Des Moines, Iowa in order to train with Chow. She would stay with a host family for two years while preparing for her eventual gold-medal run.

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Douglas' nickname is the Flying Squirrel, a moniker bestowed upon her by Martha Karolyi, the National Coordinator for USA Gymnastics, due to her aerial prowess. We are, however, soliciting replacement nicknames more befitting a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

MORE: Olympic athletes are becoming stars in London. Find out what makes them tick.