OnlyOnAOL: How Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman spends her Saturday nights
By: Donna Freydkin
Aly Raisman knows how to stick a landing.
She spent a year training on her own to get into fighting shape for the Rio Olympics -- 12 months just getting into optimal conditioning before her coach would even work with her.
"If I wanted to come back, I had to prove it to him," she says.
That's after she won gold medals in 2012 in the team and floor competitions. In Rio, she took home another team gold, as captain, and the silver medal in the individual all-around and floor exercise.
Now, she's got her own line of leotards and FEAT socks, and has hung out with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend.
"It's definitely a lot crazier than four years ago. I thought four years ago was crazy but now there's been a lot of exciting opportunities," she says. "I have a little bit more of a platform now. I've been really into girl power and spreading a positive message."
She and the rest of team USA are touring, and doing a slew of meet and greets with aspiring Raismans and Simone Bileses. "I really understand how big of a role model we are for these young kids," she says.
In the gym, the 22-year-old is known for her focus and confidence, as well as her poise and that elegant top-knot. She's smart about her brand, and recently spoke, along with Michael Phelps, at the Forbes 30 Under 30 summit.
"Outside of gymnastics, I love being with my family and friends. I don't really like to party. I'd rather be in bed on a Saturday night and drinking mint tea and taking a bath. I'm very chill outside the gym. In gymnastics I'm a perfectionist but outside of it, I'm very messy," she says.
As for Tokyo in 2020, expect the unexpected.
"Yeah, it's something that's in the back of my mind. Once the holidays come around, we're trying to plan a vacation. Maybe at the end of the summer I'll begin training," she says.