Beyond the Podium

That’s the question Olympic champion, entrepreneur, advocate, and trailblazer Dominique Dawes will bring to Chatham Hall when she joins us as our 2026-2027 Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence.  A three-time Olympian and member of the iconic “Magnificent Seven” who won team gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Dawes knows what it means to achieve at the highest level. But her story offers a much deeper lesson about success, identity, resilience, and finding your own voice.

During her time at Chatham Hall in April 2027, Dawes will deliver her keynote, “Beyond the Podium: The Courage to Be You,” but her residency will extend far beyond the stage. She’ll spend time with students in advisory, athletics, meals, and smaller group conversations, creating opportunities for our girls to engage with her story and ask their own questions about what success means.

Dawes’ journey is particularly meaningful because she understands both the rewards and the pressures of achievement. As a young gymnast, she reached a level of success many athletes dream of. She competed in three Olympic Games, earned four Olympic medals, and helped make history as a member of the “Magnificent Seven.” But behind those accomplishments was also the pressure of external expectations, perfectionism, and the challenge of finding her own voice within a demanding and sometimes unhealthy culture.

Today, Dawes uses those experiences to advocate for a different path for the next generation.

As a mother, entrepreneur, and advocate for girls and young athletes, she works to create environments where young people can develop confidence, define success for themselves, and understand that their worth extends far beyond what they accomplish. That message resonates deeply with what we hope our students discover at Chatham Hall.

At Chatham Hall, we believe leadership begins with knowing yourself. The Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence program brings accomplished leaders and changemakers to campus to engage with our students through meaningful conversation, shared experiences, and reflection. Each residency gives our girls the opportunity to see leadership up close and consider how another person’s experiences might shape their own. Dawes’ residency will invite students to do exactly that.

Before her visit, students will begin considering the question at the heart of her time on campus. During her residency, they’ll have the opportunity to explore it with her. And afterward, they’ll reflect on whether their understanding of success has changed.

What if the truest measure of success isn’t what you achieve, but who you become along the way?

For Chatham Hall students, Dominique Dawes’ visit will be an opportunity to look beyond the podium, beyond the accomplishment, and beyond the expectations of others. It will be an invitation to know yourself, find your voice, and have the courage to become fully yourself.

And perhaps, most importantly, to consider what you will do with who you become.

Dominique Dawes is a three-time Olympian, Olympic gold medalist, and trailblazer in American gymnastics. As a key member of the iconic “Magnificent Seven,” she made history at the 1996 Atlanta Games as the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics. Over more than a decade on the U.S. national team, she redefined what it means to lead with both excellence and integrity.

Dawes is the founder and brand ambassador of the Dominique Dawes Academy, which is dedicated to creating a safe and empowering environment for young athletes in gymnastics, ninja, and more. Launched in July 2020 in her hometown of Montgomery County, Maryland, the academy continues to grow while championing joy, inclusion, and mental well-being for the next generation of athletes.

She holds a degree from the University of Maryland, where she was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2022, and currently serves on the University of Maryland Alumni Association board. Beyond gymnastics, she is a minority owner of the Washington Spirit and a limited partner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. She previously co-chaired the President’s Council on Fitness under President Obama and produced the Sports Emmy-nominated docuseries Golden.