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Image: Gabby Douglas of the U.S. wins gold
Rolf Vennenbernd  /  EPA
Gabby Douglas flashes a smile after winning gold in the women's All-Around Individual event of the London 2012 Olympic Games Artistic Gymnastics competitions, Aug. 2.
By
TODAY contributor
updated 9/6/2012 10:46:30 AM ET 2012-09-06T14:46:30

Gabby Douglas captured American hearts with a dazzling smile and a gymnastics gold medal in London. Now the teenager looks to captivate the public with her words.

Douglas, 16, announced Thursday that she will write an “inspirational memoir’’ for a HarperCollins imprint that is planned to be released in December, which was first reported by People.com. The book is to be titled “Grace, Gold and Glory, My Leap of Faith,’’ and will detail her journey to gold in the London Olympics.

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"My mom and I want to let people know about us and how we overcame hard times,’’ Douglas told TODAY.com during the Olympics when expressing her interest in writing a book.

Gabby Douglas hires hairstylist to the stars Ted Gibson

There will be many references on how her deep Christian faith and the support of her family and the host family she lived with while training for the Olympics helped her focus through the intense scrutiny in London, according to Douglas’s agent, Sheryl Shade. Douglas also wants the book to show that dreams can be achieved by hard work and determination.

Douglas, who will appear with her U.S. gymnastics teammates on MTV’s Video Music Awards Thursday night, began fielding book offers only days after her Olympic performance. Shade told TODAY.com that they immediately had 12 inquiries and five solid offers, including three from Christian imprints. They eventually decided on the Zondervan division of HarperCollins.

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Video: Michelle Obama chides Gabby Douglas, Malia

  1. Closed captioning of: Michelle Obama chides Gabby Douglas, Malia

    >>> first lady michelle obama invoked her rights as mom in chief to give gold medal gymnast gabby douglas a little scolding for her eating habit.

    >> how did you celebrate that.

    >> event finals after that. after the competition i splurged on an egg mcmuffin .

    >> egg mcmuffin .

    >> gabby, don't encourage him. i'm sure it was a whole wheat mcmuffin.

    >> on a whole wheat bun.

    >> egg mcmuffin , very good.

    >> you're setting me back, gabby.

    >> we'll talk to gabby about that a little bit later. mrs. obama also called out another teenager girl, her own daughter. she said 13-year-old malia was disgusted she didn't deliver when the kiss cam caught her and the president at a recent basketball game. so the first daughter arranged for a second shot on the jumbotron. as you remember, they did deliver the goods. it's 7:13. back over to matt, savannah and al.

    >> thanks very much.

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