Nastia Liukin

Winning five Olympic medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was only the beginning for Nastia Liukin. As the 28.7 million Americans who watched the Games know, Liukin parlayed her extraordinary athletic prowess into a gold medal in all-around gymnastics -- one of only three U.S. women ever to do so. Liukin is also the 2007 3X World Champion (Team, Uneven Bars, and Balance Beam), the 2006 Visa All Around Champion, the 2005 IGHOF "Gymnast of the Year" and the 2005 World Balance Beam Champion.

Upon her return from Beijing, Liukin became America's sweetheart, gracing the covers of US magazine and the front of the iconic Wheaties cereal box. She also appeared on several TV programs including the hit show Gossip Girl, NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno, HBO's Costas NOW, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

To transcend her life beyond the gym, Liukin is focused on brand positioning, centered on promoting healthy living for young women. Her message is about fighting teen obesity, encouraging active lifestyles among children and giving kids the opportunity to have fun and be healthy. Liukin is also a major aide for victims of natural disasters. In October 2008, Liukin partnered with World Vision to help her home state of Texas recover from Hurricane Ike. In November 2012, she helped raise money and donated food to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Liukin released her autobiography, Finding My Shine in 2015. She has her own line of gymnastics equipment, which includes mats, bars and balance beams in her signature pink, produced by American Athletic, Inc. Liukin graduated from NYU with a degree in sports management and she also worked as a TV commentator for NBC sporting events including the 2016 Olympic Games.