McKayla Maroney

Imagine a gymnast who can do flips higher than a playground slide and land them perfectly! That's McKayla Maroney. She's an American gymnast who became famous for her incredible skills.

She was part of a super-team called the Fierce Five that won a gold medal at the Olympics. She also won a shiny silver medal all by herself on the vault! McKayla showed the world what it means to be strong and graceful.

McKayla started her gymnastics adventure when she was quite young. She trained super hard, practicing flips and tumbles every day. Her hard work paid off when she joined the U.S.

Women's Gymnastics team. She helped them win a gold medal at the World Championships in 2011, and then again at the 2012 Olympics! She even won the vault title at the World Championships, which is like being the best at one specific, super-hard move.

At the 2012 Olympics, McKayla won a silver medal on the vault. When she was asked how she felt, she made a funny face that looked like she wasn't very happy. This picture became super famous online, and people made jokes about it everywhere! It's a reminder that even amazing athletes have moments when they feel a bit 'meh', and it's okay to show it sometimes.

Gymnasts like McKayla need to be super strong, flexible, and brave. They practice moves that look impossible, like flipping through the air and landing on their feet. McKayla was especially known for her amazing vault. The vault is like a bouncy runway where gymnasts run, jump, and do incredible flips before landing. She was so good at it, she even won the world title twice!