Aly Raisman: Olympic gold medalist gets hometown parade

NEEDHAM, Mass. — Hometown fans lined the streets of Needham on Sunday to honor the 18-year-old Olympic gold medalist who brought the international spotlight to the Boston suburb.

Smiling and waving to an excited, welcoming crowd of thousands, gymnast Aly Raisman rode atop a yellow Lamborghini convertible from Needham Town Hall to a baseball field in front of Needham High School, The Boston Globe reported.

Raisman captained the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal in London before winning individual gold in the floor exercise and bronze on the balance beam.

Though the Sunday parade was to honor her, Raisman shifted the attention to her screaming fans, saying, “I hope I made you all proud.”

The Globe reports that Raisman has kept a busy appearance schedule since returning from the Olympics. She has made appearances in New York talk shows, and she threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Saturday.

She recently signed a one-year endorsement deal with Poland Spring, the Maine-based bottled water company, and she soon will join her Olympic teammates on a national celebration tour.

“It’s been the best summer of my life,” Raisman said.

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