Olympic Gymnast Dominique Dawes To Attend Ashburn Location's Grand Opening

ASHBURN, VA — Dominique Dawes, part of the gold medal-winning gymnastics team at the 1996 Olympics, will attend the grand opening of her gymnastics academy in Ashburn Saturday.

The grand opening of Dominique Dawes Academy is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Ashbrook Commons, 20020 Ashbrook Commons Plaza #155, Ashburn, VA. Attendees can meet Dawes, coaches and staff, tour the facility and enjoy complimentary open gym, live DJ, local vendors and face painting. The 9 a.m. time slot is reserved for enrolled students and their families.

Families are asked to reserve a spot to attend the grand opening.

According to the academy's website, Dominique Dawes Academy seeks to train athletes in gymnastics while avoiding the "toxic culture that has plagued the sport in the past." The academy says it prioritizes students' mental and physical health above scores and manage a balance between training and life outside gymnastics.

Dawes was part of the "Magnificant Seven," the first Americans to win the women's gymnastics gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. She is a three-time Olympian, participating in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Now a wife and mother of four, Dawes has also spoken out as a mental health advocate and abuse she and other gymnasts have faced.

The first Dominique Dawes Academy opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Two more locations followed in 2023 and 2025. Other locations are in Clarksburg, Rockville, and Columbia in Maryland. Locations in Silver Spring, Maryland and Alpharetta, Georgia will be the next to open in early 2026.