Gabby Douglas Says She Kept Her Participation on ‘The Masked Dancer’ a Secret Even From Family
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With the Tokyo Olympics taking full effect, Gabby Douglas had some thoughts to share on the TODAY Show. The 2012 Olympic all-around champion in gymnastics, joined the third hour of the show. She spoke on the topic of Team USA competing in Tokyo during the COVID-19 pandemic. The star athlete also dove into the benefits of sleep during her time on The Masked Dancer.
Douglas took home the Diamond Mask trophy on season one of The Masked Dancer. Douglas talked about the issue of “junk sleep” and how this can be a roadblock to your full potential while going for the gold in any contest.
“I definitely incorporated a lot of sleep as an athlete and even on The Masked Dancer. I noticed a huge benefit with not sleeping versus sleeping because I put so much effort and sweat into dancing 24/7,” she said.
Douglas also shared that she kept her participation on the show a secret from her family during quarantine. She expressed that she loved being mysterious. She even joked that she could have been a CIA agent because of how undercover she kept her participation. Her own sister didn’t even know what character she was.
Gabby Douglas on The Masked Dancer
The Olympic gymnast took home the victory on The Masked Dancer this season as “Cotton Candy.”
“I loved the journey and every single part about Masked Dancer,” she told PEOPLE. “I love the fact that it was so mysterious. And I’m a huge fan of The Masked Singer, because me and my family, we love being detectives.”
The inconspicuous gymnast incorporated some of her signature moves in her routines each week. Her final performance of The Greatest Showman’s “This is Me,” featured a variety of backflips and leaps.
“Gymnastics definitely helped me out,” she adds in the same interview. “It was definitely different with moving as the character.”
While Douglas is not competing in Tokyo this year, we cannot forget the accomplishments that has led her to her Masked Dancer championship. Douglas is the first African American to become the Olympic individual all-around champion. Also, the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual all around and team competitions at the same Olympics.
