At 26 years old, few people can say they have achieved their biggest dreams in life already, but that definitely can be said for McKayla Maroney, a retired American gymnast who made a name for herself as a dominant athlete in the sport for years.
She collected several gold medals throughout her illustrious career and was one of the women on the 2012 Summer Olympics team that took home the top honor. Dubbed 'The Fierce Five,' they captured not only the gold but the hearts of Americans and gymnastics fans worldwide, with each young woman taking home lucrative deals for their efforts.
These days, McKayla may have retired from the sport, but make no mistake about it – she is still an ambassador for gymnastics and will always be closely connected to the sport!
Read on to see the photos, and don't forget to check out these 30 Top Celebrity Swimsuit Moments to become summer-ready too.
McKayla Brings The Pink Brigade In Bright BikiniLooking like she is ready to engage the summer, McKayla strikes a pose in a two-piece pink bikini poolside. With her signature smirk on display, she is living it up and giving serious FOMO vibes to her 1.4 million fans on Instagram.
McKayla Got It From Her Parents
Like many athletes, McKayla first gravitated towards sports through her parents, who were both active in sports as kids themselves. She started participating in gymnastics at a very early age, and her specialty was the vault.
By the age of 13, she was competing and on a path to the Olympics. How good was McKayla in vault? She is still the only athlete to have defended her gold medal on the vault, considered an achievement that few will ever be able to claim.
The Money Behind The Medals
Most people don't know that Olympians get money for each medal they earn – $ 37,500 for a gold medal, $ 22,500 for a silver medal, and $ 15,000 for a bronze medal. That can be a pretty penny when you rack up awards, and during the London Olympics, McKayla earned $ 60,000, a nice hefty sum for only two weeks of work!
McKayla's Net Worth
Now that her career as a gymnast is in the past, that doesn't mean that McKayla is still not connected to the sport. Through her brand advertising, Maroney has accumulated a net worth of over 3 million dollars.
Some of the money she makes these days is through television appearances. To date, she has appeared in a handful of shows, including Heart of Dixie (2012-2015), Bones (2013), and Superstore (2016).
]]>The Inquisitr
