Renowned for her elegance and strength, Durham was coached by the legendary Bela and Martha Karolyi, then worked for them.
Trailblazing athlete Dianne Durham, the first African American senior national gymnastics champion in the nation, died Thursday at the age of 52 after a short illness.
She died at a Chicago hospital with her husband, Tom Drahozal, and sister Alice Durham by her side.
Drahozal told ESPN his wife’s transition was peaceful.
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“She was the love of my life and everything I could have asked for,” he said. “She was as beautiful a person away from gymnastics as she was within the sport.”
Durham was a teammate of legendary gymnastic Olympian Mary Lou Retton. She was actually the last gymnast to defeat Retton in an all-around competition before the 1984 Olympics, which was held in Los Angeles. However, Durham was denied a place on the U.S. Olympic Team — a decision made, according to ESPN, “due to a combination of injuries and politics.”
Renowned for her elegance, flair and strength, Durham was coached by Bela and Martha Karolyi, who would later become synonymous with the sport.
Source: Dianne Durham, first Black national gymnastics champion, dead at 52
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