| Wendy Hilliard | |
|---|---|
| Gymnastics career | |
| Discipline | Rhythmic gymnastics |
| Country represented |  United States |
| Years on national team | 1978-1987 |
Wendy Hilliard (born December 11) in Detroit, Michigan, is an American former rhythmic gymnast. She is a United States Gymnastics Hall of Fame Member and the first African-American rhythmic gymnast to compete as a member of the U.S. national team. [1] [2]
Hilliard began training in artistic gymnastics before she switched to rhythmic. [3] She was the first African-American to represent the United States in rhythmic gymnastics in international competition, including at three World Championships (1979, 1981, and 1983). [4]
She was on the national team for nine years, beginning in 1978. [1] [3] Hilliard was initially denied a spot in the group in 1983, as she was told she "stood out too much"; the decision was eventually reversed, and Hilliard was added to the group. [3] [5]
After she retired from competition, Hilliard moved to New York and became a coach; she coached 1996 Olympian Aliane Baquerot Wilson. [6] She served as the first African-American President of the Women’s Sports Foundation from 1995 to 1996, and was also an Olympic sportscaster. [1] She performed in Candide on Broadway in 1997. [7] Hilliard was also the Director of Sports for the New York City 2012 Olympic Bid. [8]
In 1996, she founded the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, which has provided free and low-cost gymnastics for over 15,000 urban youth in New York City. [9] In the fall of 2016, she expanded her gymnastics programs to Detroit, [10] which serves over 200 youth every week through its after school classes. [11]