McKayla Maroney is one of the most recognizable and beloved retired American gymnasts around.
Thanks to her hard work in the early 2010s, she personally took home a silver in the 2012 Olympics for her individual efforts and the entire U.S. squad took home gold in the team event.
Maroney’s integral part in the “Fierce Five” being what it was will forever live on in United States gymnastics lore.
That being said, although Maroney’s athletic accomplishments are quite impressive, there is a fair case to be made that she made an even bigger impact off the mats.
In many ways, Maroney was the original gymnastics social media influencer. She walked so that someone like LSU star Olivia Dunne could run. Whereas these days Dunne going viral for her hotel room videos is the norm, it was Maroney who popularized that sort of virality in this particular space.
This week, Maroney found a way to trend online once again when she shared a selfie from her living room showing off a new dress.
Maroney has been something of a mainstay in the headlines over the past few months. Between her provocative weekend photos causing a stir, her racy Grammys dress making a huge cultural impact and her notable birthday party pictures, it has been one thing after another for her.
Along the way, she has really established herself as a style icon, too. Any time she posts pretty much anything fashion-related, it immediately sets the internet ablaze.
Big picture, the reason someone like “the Olivia Dunne of Skateboarding” Sterre Meijer can go viral with her provocative photos is because Maroney paved the way.
Hopefully the younger generation of female sports influencers appreciates that.
It wasn’t all bad news for the Wolves last night. https://t.co/fxnY5mp7rj
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 26, 2023
Particularly with the way that the NIL is making them millionaires – something that wasn’t really an option in Maroney’s heyday.
Given how effective she has been at going viral over the past few months, it’s safe to assume this isn’t going to be the last time Maroney sets the internet ablaze in the foreseeable future.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
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