INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 13, 2024) – Lani De Mello of Peachtree City, Georgia, a gymnast who for 25 years has pioneered inclusion for athletes with disabilities, has been named the USA Gymnastics’ 2024 Robert Miller Spirit of the Flame Award winner. De Mello will receive the award June 29 at the 2024 USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Born with Down Syndrome and a heart defect, De Mello was expected by doctors to spend her life in a wheelchair, with limited physical and intellectual abilities. Instead, since 1999 she has been a competitive athlete, winning world and national titles and working as an official, speaker and presenter.
Training at Chattooga Gymnastics in Marietta, Georgia, De Mello competes in USA Gymnastics’ HUGS and Rhythmic Xcel programs and for two seasons was active in the Junior Olympic program. With a quarter of a century of competition under her belt, De Mello’s athletic resume is extensive. She was the 2015 all-around World champion and 2017 rope champion in Down Syndrome Gymnastics, has been a member of the U.S. delegation to five World Gymnaestradas and three Gym for Life World Challenges, and has won numerous gold medals in the Georgia Xcel program as well as the HUGS program.
De Mello also has won HUGS gold medals in trampoline and tumbling, and in 2019 she was the U.S. champion in the first Wheel Nationals that included athletes with disabilities. In addition to her domestic competitions, De Mello has competed in Germany, Estonia, Canada, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Austria, South Africa, Norway, Italy and Greece, among other countries.
“Lani exemplifies determination, course, strength and leadership in the most extraordinary way,” said Cindy Bickman, her coach since 1999. “She has crossed over into mainstream competition and assumed leadership roles int the sport. Because of gymnasts like Lani, the U.S. leads the world in opportunities for inclusion.”
Off the competition floor, De Mello has been an assistant presenter at the USA Gymnastics National Congress and assisted in presentations at World Gymnaestrada. She twice has been an international technical official to the Special Olympics World Games and is a peer coach for athletes with disabilities, among many other roles in the sport.
Named in honor of gymnast and Staff Sargent Robert Miller, who received the Medal of Honor after saving the lives of fellow soldiers while serving in the war in Afghanistan, the Robert Miller Spirit of the Flame Award is given by the USA Gymnastics Athletes’ Council to recognize individuals in the sport of gymnastics who have demonstrated leadership, strength and determination in an extraordinary way. It also celebrates the honoree’s personal and athletic achievements. For more information on the award, please visit usagym.org/halloffame.
