Olympic champion Gabby Douglas announces her return to gymnastics: ‘Let’s do this’

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas announced on Instagram July 13 that she would return to gymnastics competition in 2024.

Douglas last competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Douglas, 27, opened up about her reasons for stepping out of the public eye and shared her excitement about returning to the sport.

“hey guys long time no post,” Douglas wrote alongside black and white photos of her on the balance beam.

“as you all know i stepped back from the socials and in that time i did a lot of journaling, reflecting, soul searching and found myself back where it all began,” she continued. “it’s so easy to suppress and run away from facing darkness and fears.”

“for many years, i’ve had an ache in my heart,” Douglas wrote, “but i didn’t want to keep carrying anger, pain, sadness, or regret and through my tears and hurt, i’ve found peace. i wanted to find the joy again for the sport that i absolutely love doing.”

She shared her gratitude and teased her Olympic comeback with the hashtag #2024, the year of the Paris Olympics.

“i know i have a huge task ahead of me and i am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor, and even more grateful for all of your support and love. it truly means so much, there’s so much to be said but for now…. let’s do this #2024,” she concluded.

Douglas’ former teammate and captain Aly Raisman wished her luck in the comments section.

“Wishing you all the best of luck!!!!!! cheering for you! Can’t wait to watch!!!!” Raisman wrote.

Douglas is training at WOGA Gymnastics in Plano, Texas — which is co-owned by 2008 Olympic champion Nastia Liukin’s father — the official website for the Olympics reports.

Douglas’ post seems to hint that she plans to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Should she qualify, Douglas, who is 27, would be the oldest woman to qualify for the U.S. gymnastics team.

According to the Olympics website, Olympic champions Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee have also returned to training.

Douglas’ career has been historic. At the 2012 London Olympics, she became the first Black woman to win gold in the individual all-around event.

Douglas and her teammates on the 2012 U.S. Olympics gymnastics team, nicknamed the Fierce Five, went on to win team gold.

She last competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, part of the Final Five squad that won the team competition, marking Douglas’ third gold medal.

She paused her training after 2016 and did not compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In 2017, Douglas shared on Instagram that she had been abused by Larry Nassar, the former national team doctor.

Nassar served as the team doctor for USA gymnastics for 18 years. More than 160 women have come forward with stories of being sexually abused by the disgraced doctor during his tenure. Nassar was recently stabbed several times in the Florida federal prison where he is serving a decades-long sentence.

“I didn’t publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful,” Douglas said in her statement at the time. “I wholeheartedly support my teammates for coming forward with what happened to them.”

Douglas also opened up about her experience during the 2016 Olympics in an Instagram post August 11, 2022.

“i know i don’t post a lot about gymnastics, but i have my reasons,” she wrote in the caption, along with a heartbreak emoji.

“behind the scenes there were so many egregious things that i went through on the road to my 2nd games,” Douglas continued. “i went through hell x2 and i lost my joy, i lost my passion, my fire, my love, and then myself. there are still so many things that have been left in the dark. hidden.”

She concluded her post by thanking her fans and followers for their kind words and support.

A few days later, Douglas announced on Instagram that she would be “taking a step back” from social media to focus on her mental health.

Her next Instagram post was the July 13 announcement of her return to the sport.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com