Gold Medalist

Background:

American gymnast Kerri Strug rose to worldwide prominence with her heroic vaulting efforts at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, in which she competed with a hurt ankle and helped her team win the Gold Medal. She also nabbed a 1996 Olympic Spirit Award. Her teammates in the memorable event included Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Dominique Moceanu, Amanda Borden, Jaycie Phelps and Amy Chow. Strug was also a member of the U.S. Senior Gymnastics Team from 1991 to 1997. She is of Russian/Jewish origin and is an inductee of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

After her amateur career, Strug worked as a team manager and then at an elementary school in San Francisco before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2003. In Washington, she took on several jobs, including working as a staff assistant and a presidential appointee.

During her leisure time, petite Strug enjoys running marathon, supporting charity organizations, giving motivational speeches and encouraging young gymnasts in pursuing their dreams. She is close family friends with actress Julie Davenport.

Kappa Alpha Theta

Childhood and Family:

Kerri Allyson Strug was born on November 19, 1977, in Tucson, Arizona, to Melanie and Burt Strug. Her father is a heart surgeon. She has an older brother named Kevin and an older sister named Lisa. After she retired as an amateur gymnast, Kerri attended UCLA and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She later transferred to Stanford University, from which she received an undergraduate and graduate degree.

Kerri married Robert Fischer in April 2010.

In and Outside the Gym

Career:

Kerri Strug discovered a love for gymnastics when she was very young. At age 4, she used to do flips and somersaults, following in her older siblings' footsteps. She steadily climbed up the gymnastic ladder and in order to achieve her dream, the 13-year-old girl made the difficult decision to leave her home and move to Houston, Texas, to train with world renowned coach Bela Karolyi.

Strug's sacrifice paid off the following year when she joined the United States National Team, a coveted post she would hold until 1997. Specializing in floor exercises and the uneven bars, Strug, who picked up her first national title in 1989 at the American Classic in Oakland, California, was number one in the vault and third in all-round at the 1991 U.S. Championships. She made her debut at the Olympic Games in 1992 that was held in Barcelona. There, she won the Bronze Medal with teammates Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal, Betty Okino, Wendy Bruce and Michelle Campi. At the time, she was the youngest member of the U.S. Team.

After the 1992 games, Strug had to decide whether to continue or quit gymnastic following the retirement of Karolyi from coaching. During the uncertain period, she switched gyms many times. Finally, Strug moved to Dynamo to learn under the guidance of Steve Nunno. In the 1993 Nationals, Strug ranked No. 3 in the all-around, No. 2 on the uneven bars and No. 3 on floor exercise. After the competition, she left Dynamo to train at Forster Gymnastics in Colorado.

An accident happened in 1994 at the U.S. Classic in Palm Springs and Strug was rushed to the hospital and underwent rehabilitation for a badly pulled back muscle. She recovered in time for the 1994 World Championships, where she was a standout on the floor exercise. At the 1995 Nationals, Strug placed fifth and third in events. She then became a member of the Bronze Medal winning U.S. Team at that year World Championships.

1996 marked a banner year for Strug. Again coached by Karolyi after he came out of retirement, she won the 1996 American Cup. At the 1996 U.S. Nationals, she ranked fifth and second in events. Her biggest breakthrough arrived during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta when she became the last U.S performer in the vault even finals. She shocked audiences by falling and injuring her ankle on her first vault, but managed to nail the landing on her second vault before collapsing in pain. Her hard effort paid off when the U.S. Team brought home the gymnastic Gold Medal.

Strug next took part in the Ice Capades and Disney's World On Ice before eventually retiring as an amateur gymnast. She went on to pursue a college career by attending UCLA. As a professional, Strug was unable to participate in NCAA gymnastic events. Therefore, she served as a team manager for a while.

After graduating from Stanford University, Strug moved to San Francisco to work as an elementary school teacher. In 2003, she relocated to Washington, DC, where she first worked as a staff assistant with the U.S. Office of Presidential Student Correspondence. She moved to the Office of the General Counsel in the Treasury Department in August 2004 and joined the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention staff as a presidential appointee in March 2005.

Strug has made a few guest appearances on television. In 1997, she was seen in an episode of “Touch by an Angel” and “Clueless.” In 2004, she appeared as Christy in an episode of “Strong Medicine” titled “Life in the Balance.”

Awards:

• Olympic Spirit: 1996

• Olympic Gold Medal: 1996

• World Championship Bronze Medal: 1995

• Olympic Bronze Medal: 1992