Gabby Douglas was nearly flipping chicken patties instead of winning gold medals at the London Olympics. Douglas says that she almost walked away from gymnastics, and thought about working for Chik-fil-A, a matter of months before she became the first black woman to ever win the Olympic gold medal for the individual all-around event, she told People.

Since claiming gold, Douglas has been basking in the glory. She has made numerous television appearances and is set to release her memoir, Grace, Gold, & Glory: My Leap of Faith on Dec. 4. In the book Douglas expands on her incredible journey and reveals the highlights, such as meeting President Obama and being introduced to her crush, Ian Somerhalder.

Douglas was recently in New York along with her Olympic teammates Alexandra Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Grateful for everything she has achieved, Douglas is certainly glad she didn’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

“My life has changed so much,” Douglas told People. “It’s been really fun.”

Douglas will be signing copies of Grace, Gold, & Glory: My Leap of Faith on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 12:30 p.m. in New York City at the Barnes & Noble located at 555 Fifth Avenue.

Watch Uinterview's exclusive video inetreview with McKayla Maroney here. And then watch our interview with Jordyn Weiber here.

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