April Dunford
Bestselling Author, Obviously Awesome & Sales Pitch | Founder & CEO, Ambient Strategy | B2B Positioning & Sales Narrative Expert
Dominique Dawes
Three-Time Olympic Medalist | Member of the Gold-Winning Magnificent Seven | Founder and CEO, Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy | U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Inductee
Few athletes embody resilience and reinvention like Dominique Dawes, whose journey from Olympic gold medalist to transformative entrepreneur offers powerful lessons for leaders navigating high-stakes environments. As the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal and a key member of the history-making Magnificent Seven, Dawes knows what it takes to perform under pressure, overcome devastating setbacks, and lead teams to victory when the spotlight is brightest.
Want to book Dominique Dawes as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Dominique Dawes biography
Dominique Dawes is a three-time Olympian and member of the legendary “Magnificent Seven” team that captured America’s first women’s gymnastics team gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Beyond team gold, she made history as the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal, earning bronze in floor exercise. Across three consecutive Olympic Games—Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000—Dawes is one of only four American women to compete in three Olympics and earn medals at all three, a feat that secured her place in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Known by fans and teammates as “Awesome Dawesome,” motivational speaker Dominique Dawes dominated U.S. gymnastics throughout her career, winning more National Championship medals than any other gymnast in the modern era. At the 1996 U.S. Championships, she swept all four event finals—a rare accomplishment she achieved twice in her career—and entered the Atlanta Olympics as the clear favorite after winning the Olympic Trials. During the team competition, Dawes was the only gymnast to have all eight scores count toward the team total, delivering under pressure when it mattered most.
Beyond the Podium: Transforming Youth Sports
After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Dawes channeled her experience into advocacy and entrepreneurship. She founded the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academy in July 2020 during the height of the global pandemic, driven by a mission to create the positive, empowering environment she wished she’d had as a young athlete. The academy has since expanded to multiple locations across Maryland and Virginia, with aggressive plans to open 50 locations nationwide within five years. Her hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland, honored her legacy in June 2024 with a life-size statue at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center.
Dawes also served as co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition under President Obama alongside Drew Brees, and executive produced “Golden,” the Peacock docuseries following Team USA gymnastics on the road to Tokyo, which earned a Sports Emmy nomination. She holds minority ownership in the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League and became a Limited Partner in the Atlanta Falcons ownership group in 2024. She graduated from the University of Maryland and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2022.
As a speaker, Dominique Dawes brings powerful lessons on resilience, teamwork, and leadership to corporate audiences, women’s groups, and youth organizations. Her signature “ENVISION” framework—an eight-principle roadmap to success built on passion, planning, and perseverance—resonates with executives navigating high-stakes environments. Dawes teaches that failure is fuel for growth, that individual excellence requires team support, and that success is measured not by podiums but by the journey. As a mother of four and CEO balancing family with national expansion, she offers rare insight into building sustainable excellence without sacrificing well-being—a message that lands with audiences seeking both performance and purpose.
Dominique Dawes Speaking Videos
AANP National Conference Opening Keynote | Dominique Dawes
Dominique Dawes - Class of 2009 Induction Speech
Dominique Dawes Keynote Topics
Dominique Dawes won Olympic gold, but her greatest victories came during the eighteen-year journey that got her there. Drawing from her experiences competing in three Olympic Games, Dawes reveals why the moments between podiums—the setbacks, doubts, and small daily wins—build the foundation for sustained excellence. She shares her personal framework for navigating obstacles and staying focused on long-term goals despite inevitable failures, offering audiences practical strategies for measuring success beyond medals and accolades. This keynote resonates powerfully with leaders and teams who understand that championship performance is built through consistent execution and resilient mindset, not just destination achievements.
Dawes' signature presentation unveils the eight-principle framework that propelled her from young gymnast to Olympic champion and successful entrepreneur. ENVISION is more than an acronym—it's a roadmap for achieving ambitious goals through passion, strategic planning, and unwavering perseverance. Dawes customizes this keynote to empower diverse audiences—from corporate executives to small business owners—to envision greatness in their own lives and organizations. By sharing vivid examples from the gymnastics arena where focus and commitment separated champions from contenders, she delivers actionable insights that audiences can implement immediately to unlock their potential and drive measurable results.
At the 1993 World Championships, Dawes led after three events before a devastating vault fall dropped her from medal contention, leaving her in tears on the competition floor. Years later, she returned to win Olympic gold. This keynote explores how Dawes transformed crushing defeats into fuel for growth, developing the mental toughness and resilience that define true champions. She shares the strategies she used to overcome failure, manage pressure, and maintain belief in herself when results didn't match effort. For organizations navigating change, uncertainty, or competitive challenges, Dawes offers a blueprint for turning obstacles into opportunities and building cultures where setbacks strengthen rather than defeat teams.
As the only member of the Magnificent Seven to have all eight scores count toward the team total, Dawes played a pivotal role in delivering America's first women's gymnastics team gold. This keynote reveals what it takes to build high-performing teams under extreme pressure—checking egos at the door, trusting teammates completely, and understanding that individual excellence serves collective goals. Dawes shares behind-the-scenes insights from training with Shannon Miller, Kerri Strug, and teammates who became sisters, exploring how diverse talents unite around shared purpose to achieve what none could accomplish alone. Ideal for organizations focused on collaboration, trust-building, and creating cultures where every team member's contribution matters.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Dominique Dawes
Why book Dominique Dawes as a keynote speaker?
Booking Dominique Dawes brings a three-time Olympian and member of the legendary Magnificent Seven team who captured America's first women's gymnastics team gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. As the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal and a U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee, Dawes delivers powerful presentations on resilience, teamwork, and leadership drawn from competing at three consecutive Olympic Games. Her signature ENVISION framework provides audiences with actionable principles for sustained excellence, while her experience as founder and CEO of a rapidly expanding gymnastics academy demonstrates how Olympic-level discipline translates to entrepreneurial success. Dawes connects with corporate audiences, women's leadership groups, and youth organizations through authentic storytelling about performing under pressure, overcoming setbacks, and building legacy beyond athletic achievement. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to book Dominique Dawes for your next corporate event, leadership summit, or motivational conference.
What is the Magnificent Seven in gymnastics?
The Magnificent Seven refers to the United States women's gymnastics team that won the nation's first-ever women's team gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The seven gymnasts were Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, and Kerri Strug. The competition became one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history, particularly Kerri Strug's vault on an injured ankle that clinched the gold. Dominique Dawes was the only member of the team whose all eight scores counted toward the final team total, making her contributions essential to the historic victory. The team's achievement transformed women's gymnastics in the United States and inspired a generation of young athletes.
What is Dominique Dawes' ENVISION framework?
The ENVISION framework is Dominique Dawes' signature eight-principle roadmap to success, developed from her experiences as a three-time Olympian and entrepreneur. The framework covers goal setting, planning, perseverance, and resilience, providing audiences with actionable strategies for achieving excellence in high-pressure environments while maintaining personal well-being. Dawes uses examples from her Olympic career, her transition to entrepreneurship, and her experience as a mother of four to illustrate each principle, making the framework applicable to corporate leaders, athletes, and anyone pursuing ambitious goals. The ENVISION framework has become a centerpiece of her keynote presentations and resonates particularly with audiences seeking sustainable performance strategies.
What topics does motivational speaker Dominique Dawes cover?
Dominique Dawes specializes in resilience and sustained excellence through her ENVISION framework, teamwork and high-performance collaboration drawn from the Magnificent Seven experience, leadership through adversity and reinvention, entrepreneurship and scaling a business from startup to national expansion, diversity and breaking barriers in historically exclusive spaces, work-life integration and avoiding burnout while pursuing excellence, and youth empowerment and mentoring the next generation. Her keynotes draw from competing at three consecutive Olympic Games, founding and expanding her gymnastics academy during a pandemic, serving as co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness under President Obama, and balancing CEO responsibilities with motherhood. She is particularly effective for corporate leadership events, women's conferences, diversity and inclusion summits, sales kickoffs, and youth organizations. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to discuss how Dominique Dawes can customize her message for your organization's specific needs.
How to book Dominique Dawes as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Dominique Dawes as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Dominique Dawes's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Dominique Dawes or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Dominique Dawes speaking fee?
Dominique Dawes speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Dominique Dawes to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Dominique Dawes.
How can I contact Dominique Dawes?
We only work with Dominique Dawes on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Dominique Dawes and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Dominique Dawes speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Dominique Dawes for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Dominique Dawes for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Dominique Dawes is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Dominique Dawes for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
