Memorial services held for Olympic gymnast, Indiana native Dianne Durham
FIlE - In this June 6, 1983, file photo, Dianne Durham, of Gary, Ind., does a flip during individual final competition of the balance beam in Chicago at the McDonald's Gymnastic Championships of the U.S.A. Durham, the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship, died on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, She was 52. (AP Photo/Lisa Genesen, File)
GARY, Ind. (AP) — Late Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham is being remembered as a trailblazer and pioneer.
Memorial services were held Saturday in Gary, Indiana, where Durham was born.
She was the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship.
She died in February in Chicago following a short illness.
Several gymnasts spoke in person and virtually at the memorial, including Simone Biles.
Mourners remembered Durham not only for athleticism but also her style, kindness and compassion.
Durham was born in Gary in 1968 and started gymnastics at age 4.