|
Born in Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Emily came from a prestigious line of old money. Her parents were prominent entrepeneurs in their own right.
Emily was born to two loving parents, Charles and Martha French on December 1st, 1992. The French families were successful entrepreneurs, renowned within the banking community for four generations. In other words, they were old-money rich and among the social elite. Emily and her older sister, Isabel, lived very comfortable and priveleged lives. They never wanted for anything, and really didn't know any other type of life. But it would seem that both she and her sister were fated to go down another road. Both were destined for greatness in gymnastics, and later the Olympic games.
Emily dominated the gymnastic events, even from a young age. She had a natural talent for it, like this was something she was just born to do. She excelled beyond the expectations of her parents and coaches. What came natural for Emily, her older sister Isabel had to work hard to achieve. This however did not stress the deep, loving bond the sisters had for each other. They were as close knit as any sibling could be. To match her physical superiority, Emily has a robust and outgoing personality. Many considered it bold for one so young. In 2008, Emily won her first Silver Medal for the balance beam. A Bronze was also won for her performance in floor gymnastics.
In 2009, tragedy struck the French family. During a regular training session on the uneven parallel bars, Isabel lost her grip and broke her neck. Emily was beside herself with grief. She was inconsolable for a year after that. She had lost her best friend, and her parents thought she might never fully recover. Eventually, Emily did, focusing on her studies, and her gymnastics career with new direction. In the 2012 Olympic games, she won a Silver Medal once again for the balancing beam.
Emily could have easily gone into banking like her predecessors, but she wanted to break out of that mold. She decided to attend Rider University, one of the more expensive in the state of New Jersey, and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science in 2013. Now that she's moved to Detroit, a new chapter in her life is about to begin.
|
