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Where Are The Fierce Five Now? The 2012 U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team Is Still Golden

by Lindsay E. Mack

Remember the Fierce Five? Individually known as Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber, these five gymnasts helped bring home the United States' second team gymanstics gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. After their win, they gained international attention, earning the respect and admiration their athletic feats deserve. But where are the Fierce Five Now? You can be sure that all of them are still kicking serious butt.

Although they are all still young women, all of the Fierce Five have gone on to do amazing things. Some are still very involved in the sport, while others have focused on schoolwork or other projects. Whatever their trajectory, it looks like they use that intense discipline to hit their goals. I mean, wouldn't any other goal seem attainable after you get Olympic gold?

It's no surprise that these ladies are still successful and impressive, whether they're competing in Rio for the 2016 Olympics or pursuing a career in the STEM field. So take your guesses: who appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and who is now pursuing a music career? And which two of them have become Bruins? The answers may surprise you. Even McKayla Maroney would be impressed.

1

Gabby Douglas

Douglas and her family have a series on Oxygen called Douglas Family Gold, which shows how Douglas relies on her family's support for success. Oh, and Douglas is on the 2016 Women's Gymnastics team, because this fierce lady has to help the U.S. defend its gold.

2

McKayla Maroney

Maroney may not be competing in gymnastics any longer, but she is still in the spotlight. According to IMDB, Maroney appeared in episodes of Bones and Hart of Dixie. And according to a recent Instagram post, she is now looking to enter the music industry.

3

Aly Raisman

Raisman turned to a different competition following the 2012 Olympics: she appeared on season 16 of Dancing with the Stars, as noted on Team USA. But she is back as a member of the 2016 Women's Gymnastics team, according to Team USA. Although she has been nicknamed "grandma" by her teammates at the ripe old age of 22, Raisman is still training to compete just as hard this time around, as noted in The Washington Post.

4

Kyla Ross

Ross is set to join UCLA in fall 2016 to study bioengineering, as her Twitter post explained. No doubt she will excel in the STEM field. But she has not given up on the sport entirely: according to NBC Olympics, she is looking into a career in NCAA gymnastics.

5

Jordyn Wieber

Wieber is a psychology major at UCLA. According to Sports Illustrated, she acts as student manager for the school's gymnastics team. As further explained in the Sports Illustrated piece, by accepting a deal with Wasserman Media Group at 17, she turned professional and was therefore prohibited from participating in college sports. Although she has retired from professional gymnastics, her Twitter page shows she is still a devoted follower of the sport (and a big Bruins fan).