The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women

Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Learn more

Aly Raisman

b. May 25, 1994

by JWA Staff
Our work to expand the Encyclopedia is ongoing. We are providing this brief biography for Aly Raisman until we are able to commission a full entry.

Gymnast Aly Raisman.

Alexandra “Aly” Raisman not only won gold and bronze medals for her individual performances at the 2012 Olympics but captained the women’s gymnastic team that won the gold medal that year. Raisman began gymnastics as a young teenager and took online classes for her senior year of high school to enable her to focus on training for the Olympics. Between 2009–2012, she dominated the sport, becoming a three-time World Championship medalist and eight-time National Championship medalist, as well as winning numerous international competitions. At the 2012 Olympics, she earned a gold medal for her floor routine, bronze for her balance beam work, and helped the US team win the gold medal, making her the most decorated gymnast of the year. Proud of her Jewish heritage, she dedicated her Olympic routine to the memory of the murdered athletes of the 1972 Munich Games. Later that year, following an injury during a routine on the uneven bars, Raisman retired from athletics. Since then, she has been a contestant and finalist on the 2013 season of Dancing with the Stars and a spokesperson for various companies. She also volunteers for the Special Olympics and for MitoAction, an organization to help those with mitochondrial disorders.

How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Aly Raisman." (Viewed on September 29, 2023) <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/raisman-aly>.

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