Aly Raisman is the elder statesman of the US women’s gymnastics team. And that’s saying a lot, considering she’s only 22 years old.
The rest of the team is anywhere from 16-20. Gabby Douglas is 20, Madison Kocian and Simone Biles are 19, while Laurie Hernandez is the youngest at 16. The young ages of the members of the Olympic team are not too surprising given how taxing gymnastics can be on one’s body. But the nickname the team has given to Raisman still comes as a shock.
The team did an interview with Ryan Seacrest that aired on NBC Thursday. In the interview, the members of the group couldn’t stop giggling. They then revealed an interesting nickname for Raisman when she was asked if she was keeping the rest of the team members in check as the “mother hen.”
Yes, Raisman’s teammates call her “grams” or “grandma” just because she is a veteran on the team and team captain. She’s 22. But in the sport of gymnastics, that makes you a senior citizen.
Raisman will be looking to continue her success from the London Games where she won gold in the team and floor competitions, as well as bronze on the balance beam. And then maybe she’ll prove to her younger teammates that grandmas can still be effective gymnasts even in their old age.
