Kerri Strug

Kerri Strug (born November 19, 1977) is a retired American artistic gymnast best known for her heroic performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where she vaulted on a severely injured ankle to secure the first-ever team gold medal for the United States women's gymnastics team, known as the Magnificent Seven.

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Strug began training in gymnastics in 1982 at the age of five, following her older sister into the sport, and quickly rose through the ranks under coaches including Bela and Martha Karolyi. At 14, she became the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team at the 1992 Barcelona Games, contributing to a team bronze medal while competing in her first international senior competition. Over her elite career, Strug was a five-time World Championships team member, earning team silver medals in 1991 and 1994, a team bronze in 1995, and placing as high as seventh in the all-around at the 1995 Worlds; she also amassed over 30 international medals and reached event finals, including floor exercise at the 1993 Worlds. Her determination was epitomized at the 1996 Olympics, where after injuring her ankle on her first vault attempt—later diagnosed as a third-degree sprain with two torn ligaments—she nailed a 9.712 score on her second try at the urging of her coach, clinching the team victory by 0.088 points over Russia and qualifying first on floor before withdrawing from further events due to the injury.

Strug hails from an Ashkenazi Jewish family and was raised in a culturally Jewish household in Tucson. The family observed religious practices such as attending High Holy Day services together, though Strug did not undergo a bat mitzvah ceremony, as her intensive gymnastics schedule took precedence over formal Hebrew school education.

Strug, who was raised in a Jewish family, married attorney Robert William Fischer III on April 25, 2010, in a sunset ceremony at Skyline Country Club in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona. Fischer, who worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Lamar Smith at the time, has supported Strug's career transitions while building their family together.

Strug and Fischer balance parenting with their careers by prioritizing family routines, including observing Jewish traditions such as High Holy Day celebrations, which Strug credits for instilling pride in their cultural heritage for their children.