PHOTO VIA DOMINIQUE DAWES ACADEMY
The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (Website) has announced that three-time Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes will be the featured speaker at the 8th Annual Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon and Auction on Wednesday, September 16, at Addition Financial Arena.
Dawes is best known as a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” the U.S. gymnastics team that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where she also became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics. Since retiring from competition, she founded the Dominique Dawes Academy (Website) in Maryland, a gymnastics and ninja training program on track to expand to six locations by 2026. She is also a minority owner of the Washington Spirit (Website) and became a limited partner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 2024.
The event will also present the Women in Sports Leadership Award, Rising Star Award, and WISE Greater Orlando Women of Inspiration Award. Past featured speakers have included Brandi Chastain, Doris Burke, and Misty May-Treanor.
Last year’s luncheon sold out with more than 750 attendees. Table Sponsorships are $2,200. Individual tickets priced at $100 will be available for purchase at a later date. To purchase a table for the event or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Kalinich at michael@greaterorlandosports.com and Morgan Underwood at munderwood@greaterorlandosports.com.
