Thirty years ago today, I was a 10-year-old completely captivated by my TV screen.
It felt like millions of camera flashes went off inside the Georgia Dome as Béla Károlyi (the disgraced former “King of Gymnastics”) shouted in his thick Romanian accent to Kerri Strug before her second vault: “You can do it!” Strug was the final gymnast to compete in the team’s last event, and she had already fallen on her first vault. Worse, she was struggling to walk as she prepared for her second attempt, visibly limping as she tried to loosen up despite the pain. Her teammates—captain Amanda Borden, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps and Dominique Moceanu—looked on nervously, some covering their eyes while Borden rubbed her temples in distress.
It felt like Strug was moving in slow motion as she sprinted down the runway, launched into the air and stuck the landing. But after saluting the judges, she collapsed to her knees, unable to put weight on her injured ankle. (She was later diagnosed with a lateral sprain and torn ligaments in her left ankle, forcing her to withdraw from the individual all-around and vault finals.) That vault sealed the United States’ first-ever Olympic women’s team gymnastics gold medal—a moment of triumph, determination and perseverance that has stayed with me ever since.
I’ve followed the Magnificent Seven ever since they made history on July 23, 1996. I still own the NBC commemorative VHS released after the Games, documenting every unforgettable moment of that gold-medal run. Embarrassingly, I can still recite parts of the narration from memory, even after all these years.
So when the 30th anniversary of that unforgettable Olympic victory arrived, tracking down the Magnificent Seven felt personal. Here’s what America’s groundbreaking gymnastics team is doing today.
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Amanda Borden Today
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Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Borden was 19 years old when she competed at the 1996 Olympic Games, serving as captain of the Magnificent Seven. Today, she is an inspirational speaker and the owner of Gold Medal Gymnastics Academy, which has locations in Tempe and Chandler, Arizona. She is married and has three children: a daughter and two sons.
And of course, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree: Borden’s daughter, Kennedy Cochran, committed to the University of Alabama gymnastics team in November 2025 on a full athletic scholarship. “Proud mom moment,” Borden captioned her Instagram announcement at the time. Kennedy is set to begin competing for the Crimson Tide during the 2026–27 season.
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As the 30th anniversary of the Magnificent Seven’s historic Olympic victory approached, Borden reflected on the milestone with an emotional Instagram Story on July 22, 2026. Sharing a photo from the 1996 Games, the now-49-year-old paid tribute to her teammates, writing, “This team will always hold the most special place in my heart.”
Amy Chow Today
Now 48, Chow was just 18 years old when she helped the Magnificent Seven capture Olympic gold in Atlanta. She went on to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics alongside fellow ’96 teammate Dominique Dawes before attending Stanford University. Chow later earned her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and is now a physician and surgeon.
Unlike many of her former teammates, Chow maintains a low public profile and does not have a public Instagram account or an active social media presence. According to reports, she married orthopedic surgeon Jason Ho in 2010 and the two have two sons.
Dominique Dawes Today
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Dawes made history as the first Black gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal and is the only member of the Magnificent Seven to compete in three Olympic Games, representing Team USA in 1992, 1996 and 2000. Now 49, she’s married and the mother of four children.
Following her gymnastics career, Dawes became a passionate advocate for youth sports and healthy living. In 2010, President Barack Obamaappointed her Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, where she helped promote physical activity and wellness among children and families.
Today, Dawes is focused on expanding the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academies, which now have locations in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. The academies offer recreational gymnastics, tumbling, ninja classes and other youth programs, with a focus on creating a positive, athlete-first environment.
That mission is deeply personal. After speaking publicly about the emotional and physical abuse she endured during her own gymnastics career, Dawes has repeatedly said her gyms will never affiliate with USA Gymnastics.
“My kids will NEVER be associated with USAG, an organization that has admitted to rewarding coaches for abusing their athletes,” Dawes wrote on Facebook in 2020. “This is not a hard decision for me to make, my kids matter to me and your kids do too.”
Shannon Miller Today
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Since retiring from gymnastics, Miller has seemingly done it all. She’s become an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, and more.
After being diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in 2011, Miller became a passionate advocate for cancer awareness and survivorship. She founded Salto Health, a platform designed to help support cancer patients and their families, and continues to speak around the country about resilience and what she calls her “Gold Medal Mindset.”
Away from work, Miller is married and the mother of two. Thirty years after the Magnificent Seven made history, Miller still believes the team’s victory resonates because of how unforgettable the moment was.
“Being the first women’s team to win gold and having it in the United States, on home soil, that’s why I think people remember us so much,” she told USA Gymnastics in 2016. “It was such a dramatic way that we won the gold with Kerri on the vault; an iconic moment. People know exactly what they were doing and where they were in that moment.”
Related: Gymnastics Legend, Who Led the ‘Magnificent Seven’ to Olympic History, Delivered the Greatest Performance of Her Career
Dominique Moceanu Today
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At just 15 years old, Moceanu became one of the breakout stars of the 1996 Olympics, famously performing her floor routine to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Now 44, she’s still involved in gymnastics, running the Dominique Moceanu Gymnastics Center in Medina, Ohio, with her family.
Moceanu and her husband, Michael Canales (a former gymnast), have three children, and their son, Vincent, is following in his mother’s footsteps. A decorated national champion, he’s considered a 2028 Olympic hopeful and is committed to Baldwin Wallace University.
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Moceanu’s life after the Olympics hasn’t been without challenges. In 1998, she made national headlines when she sued her parents for legal emancipation, alleging years of physical, emotional and financial abuse. The highly publicized case ultimately led to reconciliation before her father’s death in 2008, and she has remained close with her mother.
More recently, Moceanu reflected on the complicated legacy of her longtime coach, Béla Károlyi, following his death in 2024. While acknowledging the difficulties she endured under his coaching, she also recognized the role he played in shaping her career.
“Bela Karolyi was a man whose influence on my life and the sport of elite gymnastics is undeniably significant,” she wrote on X. “Anyone who has followed my story knows that my journey under Bela’s guidance as my coach came with immense challenges… As we bid farewell to Bela, I choose to send loving thoughts to his family and loved ones, and honor our relationship by embracing lessons learned and striving to help create a world where compassion and encouragement guide our actions.”
Jaycie Phelps Today
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Now 46, Phelps has remained close to the sport that made her an Olympic champion. Today, she owns and serves as head coach of the Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center in Greenfield, Indiana, where she’s helping train the next generation of gymnasts. She’s also married and the mother of two daughters.
As the Magnificent Seven celebrates its 30th anniversary, Phelps says she’s still touched by how much the team’s historic victory continues to resonate with fans.
“People still remember what we did. And that’s special to me, and I think to all of us,” she said in a 2016 interview.
Related: Olympic Gymnastics Legend, Who Scored the World’s First Perfect 10, Relives Her Greatest Performance 50 Years Later
Kerri Strug Today
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Now 48, Strug is married and has two children, a son and a daughter. After retiring from gymnastics, she built a career in public service, holding positions at the White House, the Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of Justice. She’s also remained active, running marathons in various cities.
While Strug keeps a relatively low profile today, she still occasionally reflects on the Olympic moment that made her a household name. On Olympic Day in 2019, she shared a throwback photo on Instagram and wrote, “Happy Olympics Day! Lots of special memories that I will carry with me forever! #olympicday #olympicgames #dreamsfulfilled.”
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Next: Gymnastics Legend, Who Led the ‘Magnificent Seven’ to Olympic History, Delivered the Greatest Performance of Her Career
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