#dianne durham

Dianne Durham was born in 1968 in Gary, Indiana. She started gymnastics at the age of 4 and had a natural talent for the sport. In 1981, she won the junior all-around title, afterwards moving to Texas to train with Bela and Marta Karolyi as their first U.S. elite. She won the junior all-around title again in 1982. She turned senior in 1983 and tied Kathy Johnson for the all-around title at her first international competition. That year she became the first Black U.S. national champion, winning the vault, uneven bars, and floor titles as well. She was not able to compete in the 1983 world championships due to injury, but she kept training to try to make the 1984 Olympic team. Though she was in position to succeed, she unfortunately injured her ankle on vault during the trials and withdrew from the competition. USA Gymnastics did not allow her to petition onto the Olympic team because she had not competed at the previous world championships, a rule she was unaware of when she withdrew. She retired soon after and started a coaching career, owning her own gym in Chicago for 17 years and judging competitions at the national level. She passed away February 4th, 2021 at the age of 52, but her legacy lives on.