Inspired by the performance of Mary Lou Retton at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Betty Okino left her home in suburban Chicago at a very young age to train with fellow Hall of Fame coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi.
Okino, one of the most elegant and skillful gymnasts on the balance beam, performed a very difficult triple pirouette skill on the apparatus. She was later honored by the International Gymnastics Federation when that particular skill was named “The Okino.”
After helping the 1992 women’s Olympic Team earn the bronze team medal in Barcelona, Okino retired from the sport to pursue acting. Since arriving in Hollywood, Okino has landed parts in television shows such as The District, Sabrina, WB’s Popular, Moehsa, Off Center, and MTV’s Undressed. She also appeared as a series regular on the Disney Channel’s Original Sports Series, the Z-Games. Okino has also been featured in several magazines, including Young and Modern, Teen People, Elle Girl, Seventeen, Teen Magazine, Ebony, BET, Jet, Shape, SI for Women, and People.
