Gabrielle Douglas - USA Olympic Champion 2012

Women's Artistic Team All-Around Gymnastics Gold Medal – London Olympics 2012
Women’s Individual All-Around Gymnastics Gold Medal – London Olympics 2012

Gabrielle Douglas (born December 31, 1995), also commonly referred to as "Gabby,"'
is an American artistic gymnast.
She was a member of the gold medal-winning US Gymnastics team at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics.    Martha Karolyi, the National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics, nicknamed Douglas the "Flying Squirrel" for
her aerial performance on the uneven bars.

Douglas is the daughter of Timothy Douglas and Natalie Hawkins.
She began training in gymnastics at age six.

At age 14 in October of 2010, Douglas moved from her home in Virginia Beach,
Virginia, to live with a host family, Travis and Missy Parton, in
West Des Moines, Iowa, so she could train with Liang Chow, who was the
coach of former world and Olympic champion Shawn Johnson.

Her host family, Travis and Missy Parton have 4 daughters ….
Hailey, 10; twins Leah and Lexi, 7½; and Elissa age 6.  
Gabby has bonded with them like a 5th daughter.

 

Gabby gets a big hug from her China-born coach, Liang Chow

August - National Catfish Month

Congress declared August National Catfish Month in the late 80s to recognize the contributions that the United States catfish industry made to the economy.  
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi produce the majority of the nations catfish.

DID YOU KNOW...
Mississippi is the leading producer of farm raised catfish in the U.S., accounting
for 45-55 percent of ALL farm-raised catfish in the U.S.

DID YOU KNOW...
Mississippi State University was the first institution to conduct research
on the nutritional requirements of catfish.
University researchers determined the correct protein, carbohydrate, energy, vitamin, and amino acid requirements for catfish and developed a
well-balanced feed formula for catfish.
* Mississippi is the largest producer of farm-raised catfish in the country
Mississippi State University Starkville , MS

 

CATFISH FUN FACTS

-It is illegal to lasso a fish in Tennessee.

-The walking catfish moves across land from one body of water to another.
It uses its pectoral fins like legs and has a modified gill chamber to get oxygen from the air.

-Texans eat more catfish than any other state in America.

-The catfish is the official fish of Missouri.

-Catfish don’t have scales.

-The electric catfish, native to Africa, is capable of generating up to 350 volts.

-The glass catfish is mostly transparent and often seen in home aquariums.

-The “whiskers” that make catfish look like cats are really barbels (bar-bulls), which are
covered with taste buds that allow the fish to find food in the murkiest of water.

-Belzoni, Miss., is known as the catfish capital of the world.
They have an annual festival and a catfish eating contest.