Chick [given to her by her family as she looked like cartoon character 'Chicken Little' when she wore her T-ball helmet]. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 03 Jun 2021; usagym.org, 08 Aug 2019)

Shoes, fashion. (uclabruins.com, 01 Aug 2022)

Athlete, Business Owner, Student

Business, Economics - University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA]: United States

English

University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA]: United States

Janelle McDonald [club]

In August 2019 she underwent surgery on her left wrist to repair torn cartilage. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 03 Jun 2021)

She dislocated her toe in the early part of 2019. (insidegymnastics.com, 22 May 2019)

She took up gymnastics at age seven at Naydenov Gymnastics in Vancouver, WA, United States of America.

"My parents could not keep me from cartwheeling down the aisle of any open space or walking on my hands instead of my feet. People kept asking if I was in gymnastics. I had a lot of energy so they put me in gym. When I watched the 2008 Olympics, I knew I wanted to be an Olympian. But I didn't really understand the concept of how to do that."

To win gold at the Olympic Games and the world championships. (usagym.org, 08 Aug 2019)

US gymnasts Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber. (gym-style.com, 19 Aug 2018)

US gymnast Simone Biles. (heavy.com, 27 Jul 2021)

"I discovered that gymnastics doesn't always have to be about strictness and being so hard on yourself and having so much doubt. I actually realised this when I saw Simone [Biles] compete. She looks like she's having fun out there, laughing and giggling, and doesn't look stressed or tired. I was like, 'You know, I'm going to try that one of these days and see how it turns out.'" (heavy.com, 27 Jul 2021)

TEXAS MOVE
After graduating from high school in 2019, she considered quitting the sport before deciding to move to Texas to join the World Champions Centre with coaches Laurent and Cecile Landi. "I just wasn't in the right mindset. I didn't know if I wanted to do gymnastics anymore. I would cry and cry and cry, and nobody knew. Laurent and Cecile brought back the love of the sport for me, because it was gone. I lived in a world where everything [was] strict, strict, strict. They've given my so much encouragement. I didn't get that too much in the past. I just thank them all the time." (popsugar.co.uk, 01 Jul 2021; 21ninety.com, 30 Jun 2021; blackenterprise.com, 30 Jun 2021; onherturf.nbcsports.com, 27 Jun 2021, 20 May 2021)

COLLEGE COMMITMENT
She studies at the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] in the United States of America. She deferred her enrolment to 2020 in order to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, before putting off the move for an extra year after the Games were postponed until 2021. (cavalierdaily.com, 14 Nov 2021; balancebeamsituation.com, 28 May 2020; insidegymnastics.com, 22 May 2019)

CLOTHING BRAND
In June 2020 she launched her own clothing brand called Melanin Drip Clothing Co. "I am a young black woman, a Melanin Queen, and I wanted to create apparel that speaks loud and honours our royal lineage." (popsugar.co.uk, 08 Jun 2021)