VB residents congratulate Gabby on gold

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Virginia Beach's own Gabby Douglas won gold Thursday in London. The win marks a second gold medal for Douglas, who also won one with Team USA earlier this week.

Douglas is the first African American woman to earn the title. She is the fourth American to win gold in the all-around, joining the likes of Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, and Nastia Luikin.

"Gold medals are just made out of your sweat, blood and tears in the gym everyday," said Douglas after the win.

From Virginia Beach to the medal podium, the 16-year-old has entertained the world, with her high-flying tricks and a contagious smile.

Douglas got off to a strong start on vault in the all-around and held onto that lead. She talked scoreboard strategy Friday morning on the Today Show.

"You have to train yourself mentally to look away when you need to," said Douglas. "You don't want to waste your energy looking at the scoreboard."

Back home at Virginia Beach, young gymnasts were glued to the screen. Douglas got her start at Excalibur Gymnastics, where she was not only trained, but also homeschooled.

"It was amazing watching her, because we did train together," said Krystine Jacobsen, who remembers Douglas from Excalibur. "So it's amazing to see her living out her dream."

In 2010, Douglas moved to Des Moines, Iowa to train with a different coach, one she believed could help her get to the Olympics. Douglas' mother Natalie Hawkins remembers the decision wasn't easy.

"Allowing her to move away from home at 14 was really, really difficult," said Hawkins, who still lives in Virginia Beach. "I didn't know if it would pay off. We didn't know if it would pay off, but she was committed."

Judging by Douglas' smile Thursday, they they made the right choice. Not to mention, if you scramble the letters in Douglas' last name, you get 'USA GOLD.'

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms publicly offered his congratulations to Douglas Friday, saying her performances made him choke up with pride.

Douglas has the chance to win two more medals when she competes on the uneven bars and the balance beam in the event finals.

Virginia Beach residents send their congratulations to Gabby in the attached video.