The road to the Olympics starts at home, where extraordinary athletes and their families sacrifice everything for their dreams of GLORY in the new Lifetime docuseries, GOLD MEDAL FAMILIES, premiering tonight, June 28, at 9pm ET/PT. Back-to-back episodes will air on four consecutive Tuesdays this summer. The series showcases six Olympic hopefuls and their families, revealing the extraordinary lengths, economic hardships and personal sacrifices they all go through to get their elite athlete to the podium of the World Games.
"Growing up with a front row seat to the very best Olympic storytelling, I experienced firsthand what athletes and their families sacrifice for the love of their sport," said Charlie Ebersol, chairman and founder of The Company. "For the first time, Gold Medal Families will take audiences inside the families behind great Olympic hopefuls in the final months before the Games, showcasing the incredible support and love that these elite athletes are given throughout the highs and lows of their journey."
The families featured include:
Gold Medalist Gymnast, Aly Raisman, 21, Needham, MA, is the most decorated U.S. gymnast from the 2012 London Games. The three-time captain has the opportunity to become the first U.S. gymnast to make back-to-back Olympics in more than 15 years and the first gymnast in history to win a medal in consecutive Games. Aly's parents, Lynn and Rick, garnered international attention when a video of them watching their daughter in the stands went viral as they continue to root for her every step of the way. As the oldest of four siblings, Aly has a big support base in her family but understands the pressure associated with making an Olympic team. As hard as it is to get to the top, it's even harder to stay there.
Diver, Steele Johnson, 19, Carmel, IN, is one of the favorites to take gold in diving and men's synchronized platform at the games this summer. Steele's close-knit family, parents Bill and Jill and siblings Race and Hollyn, have invested financially and emotionally into Steele's road to Rio with no backup plan. As devout Christians, the church is also an important support system for the Johnson family through this journey.
Boxer, Jajaira Gonzalez, 19, Glendora, CA, was born with boxing in her blood. Her father, Jose, was a street boxer in Guadalajara before coming to the US, and her brothers Joet and Jousce are boxing powerhouses in their own right. With her younger brother JonJairo officially walking away from boxing and her youngest brother Jason living with cerebral palsy, Jajaira is more determined than ever to make a name for herself in the women's boxing world. While training with her family, Jajaira also plays her part in helping to support them, cleaning houses alongside her mother Sofia, to help make ends meet. Boxing means everything to the Gonzalez family who will do anything to get to the Olympics.
Diver, Jordan Windle, 17, Morrisville, NC, is constantly compared to his mentor and diving legend, Greg Louganis. At age two, Jordan was adopted from a Cambodian orphanage by Jerry Windle, who later went on to marry Andres Rodriguez. Jordan's two dads have both made numerous sacrifices, leaving lucrative jobs and moving so Jordan could work with one of the best coaches out there. After investing thousands into diving fees and travel costs, will all the family's financial and emotional investment into Jordan's Olympic dreams pay off?
Rhythmic Gymnast, Nastasya Generalova, 16, Los Angeles, CA, will be the first Olympic Rhythmic Gymnast of color, if she makes it to Rio. Her mother, Olga, a former Russian trained gymnast herself, is a single mom who works numerous jobs to make ends meet for her and Nastasya. While other athletes have parents, coaches and even masseuses as part of their entourage, Nastasya is often alone on competition days since Olga is usually working and can't afford to join her. At 13, Nastasya made the
USA National Team where she caught the attention of Taylor Swift and was featured in the music video for "Shake It Off." But as soon as the shoot was done, Nastasya went back to the gym to practice for her chance at victory.
Swimmer, Sean Greishop, 16, Austin, TX, is a top ranked Junior Swimmer in the USA. If he wants to get to Rio, Sean will have to take on champions Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Sean's parents Neil and Anne uprooted Sean and his two brothers, Ryan and Jack, from El Paso to Austin so Sean could work with a renowned coach. But with the trials just a few months away, Sean was recently hit with the massive surprise of his coach resigning. All three Greishop boys rely heavily on Anne's support, so there's often competition among
THE FAMILY for the attention of their parents.
Gold Medal Families is produced by The Company with Charlie Ebersol, Mike Lanigan and Bryn Freedman as executive producers. Mary Donahue and David Hillman executive produce for Lifetime. Eight-one hour episodes have been ordered of the series.
Photo courtesy of Lifetime
