Wall of Fame: Olympic gold girl Gabby Douglas was honored in the hometown with her own 30-foot mural
The Olympic gymnastics sensation Gabby Douglas is so big in her hometown of Virginia Beach that you can now see her from afar.
Two local residents honored the groundbreaking two-time gold medalist with a huge mural on the side of a bar, and the 16-year-old champion loves it.
‘IMPRESSIVE!!! That’s great!! (Hashtag) so honored, ”Douglas tweeted on Friday from the London Olympics.
Picture perfect: Eric Lindbergh from TALENT Murals is working on the picture of gymnast Gabby Douglas on the side of Gator’s Sports Bar & Grill on Holland Road in Virginia Beach
Love Work: It took brothers Todd and Eric Lindbergh four days to paint the 9 by 30 foot fresco
The realistic mural shows Douglas with a gold medal against the background of the American flag and the words: “Keep it up, Gabby.”
Brothers Todd and Eric Lindbergh used TALENT Murals to paint the 9 by 30 foot fresco on the outside wall of AJ Gators Sports Bar & Grill on Holland Road for four days.
Todd Lindbergh said he found out Douglas was from Virginia Beach, and the idea of paying tribute to the young phenomenon through art came the moment he saw her on television at a medal ceremony.
Bigger than Life: Douglas tweeted about her colorful hometown tribute, calling it “amazing”.
Hometown Girl: The 16-year-old started out at the Excalibur gym in Virginia Beach before moving to Iowa
Douglas became the first African American woman to win the grand prize in the all-round event, and she won gold for the women’s team’s gymnastics performance.
The 16-year-old started at the Excalibur gym in Virginia Beach before moving to Iowa to work out with trainer Liang Chow.
Prestigious awards: Hardee’s fast food chain honored Douglas with a plaque in their hometown, while Kellogg’s grain company featured the athlete’s picture on a box of corn flakes
Douglas will soon have the opportunity to see her mural firsthand. With the games coming to an end on Sunday, the gymnast plans to travel to Virginia Beach, according to Virginia WAVY.com.
In an interview with NBC on Friday, she said, “Yes, I’ll visit my hometown of Virginia Beach first and give a sneak peek of what I’ve missed, and then I’ll return to my second home in Iowa.”
The fresh-faced gymnast, nicknamed the Flying Squirrel for her acrobatic skills, has also inspired other honors.
Trailblazer: Douglas became the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the women’s all-round competition
Golden Girl: Douglas won the grand prize for women’s gymnastics performance
Hardee’s fast food chain showed its support for the Virginia Beach girl with a sign that read “Gabby is Golden!”
Nationally, Douglas’ picture from an Olympic medal ceremony was featured on a box of Kellogg’s corn flakes in a marketing deal that could be worth millions of dollars to the teenager.