Aly Raisman: ‘I am not a typical 22-year-old’
To become a six-time Olympic medalist at the age of 22
, you likely need to forgo a few things along the way—and that’s something Olympic gymnast and Needham native Aly Raisman understands better than most.
Before speaking at the Forbes Under 30 Summit at Harvard Business School on Tuesday morning, Raisman talked to Boston.com about perseverance and what she’s had to give up in order to achieve her goals.
“I don’t even necessarily consider it a big sacrifice just because everything really worked out really well,” Raisman said, “but I don’t have as much of a social life. I am not a typical 22-year-old.”
Raisman said she wouldn’t change a thing about the long hours and hard work she put in that ultimately led to the moment when she broke down in tears of joy after realizing she won silver in the 2016 gymnastics all-around competition.
“I really wouldn’t have it any other way,” Raisman said. “I didn’t hang out with my school friends much growing up, but I wanted to be at the gym, so at that time, it didn’t feel like much of a sacrifice. And right now, I am so busy and doing so many incredible things, that it is really exciting—especially for only being 22 years old.”
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