Aliso Viejo, California’s McKayla Maroney is one of the most well-known gymnasts the United States has ever produced. As a member of the American women’s gymnastics team known as the Fierce Five, she captured both a gold and silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

At the 2012 Games, the 5-foot-3 superstar was a heavy favorite to win a gold medal in the vault event. Unfortunately, after falling to the ground during her landing, Maroney was forced to settle for silver.

However, despite winning two Olympic medals, the now 22-year-old is best known for what happened on the podium at the London Games. It was during that time she made her iconic “not impressed” face. The disappointed expression, which featured Maroney’s lips pursed to the side, became the subject of countless internet memes. In fact, she even took a photograph with US President Barrack Obama in the Oval Office with both of them sporting the “not impressed” face.

Following her Olympic run, Maroney won several more championships, before suffering a series of injuries, which forced her to retire in 2016.

In 2018, the Olympic standout and internet star is all grown up and looking better than ever. With that in mind here are 15 images of McKayla Maroney looking quite different than she did at the height of her fame.

15 Paparazzi Shot

Being an internet sensation and a world-class gymnast can certainly make it difficult to stay out of the spotlight – as we can see here. Apparently, it can also make one quite popular, which may be why McKayla Maroney appears to have not one, but two, cell phones in hand.

With her flannel jacket, jean shorts, and Nike T-shirt, it would appear that Maroney opted to go with a more casual look in this instance.

She is also sporting a large purse, which is a fashion trend at the moment. When she isn’t wearing her gymnastics uniform, which fans have become accustomed to seeing her in, Maroney is a bit more difficult to recognize – though it certainly didn’t stop the paparazzi from noticing her here.

Fun Fact: Gymnastics has become an extremely popular sport in modern times and is one of the most watched events at the Summer Olympics. However, ancient gymnastics were much different than what sports fans are accustomed to seeing on their television these days. In fact, the origin of the sports dates back to ancient Greece. In those days the Greeks used elements from modern gymnastics to both mount and dismount their horses, which eventually evolved into what we see today.

14 Here's The Pitch

Seeing Mckayla Maroney in a Chicago White Sox uniform is something gymnastics fans aren't used to seeing. However, in this image, we see the 22-year-old proudly representing the baseball team located on Chicago’s south side. Here we have Maroney getting ready to throw at the ceremonial first pitch, before the start of the ballgame. Being a world-class athlete, Maroney decided to add a bit of flair to her pitch. The young starlet added a couple flips in before ultimately tossing the ball into the catcher's mitt. In truth, it’s one of the more entertaining first pitches in recent memory.

While folks may not be used to seeing her in White Sox colors, the retired gymnast wears them well.

Fun Fact: Almost all gymnastics are governed by an organization known as the Federation Internationale Gymnastique or the International Gymnastics Federation in English. The organization was originally founded in Belgium all the way back in 1881. It is currently recognized as the world’s oldest, active international sports federation. The group established what is known as the Code of Points, which is used to determine how a gymnastics performance is evaluated. The IGF also determines age eligibility for athletes hoping to participate in the Olympic Games.

13 Pig Tails

The public is so used to seeing Maroney making her signature “not impressed” face, that sometimes it’s hard to recognize her when she’s just sporting a regular smile. When looking back on the notoriety she achieved for the famous facial expression, Maroney has said, “I didn't want people to think of me as someone who wasn't impressed with a silver medal, because obviously that's a huge accomplishment, and I was so happy. It was more about me just being not impressed with falling at the Olympics in my last event.”

Here we see Maroney flashing a warm smile for the camera, while also sporting some stylish pigtails. She may not be making the face fans have grown accustomed to, but she looks great nonetheless.

Fun Fact: The word “gymnastics” itself is derived from the Greek word gymnos, by way of the verb gymnazo. The word gymnazo means to “train in exercise,” “to train, to exercise,” or even to “train naked.” The latter definition came from the fact that the ancient Greeks often competed in sporting events without clothing. Fortunately, these days, all athletes are required to wear uniforms in order to compete in organized gymnastics at any level.

12 Rocking Some Glasses

In this photo, we see the retired gymnast looking a tad more sophisticated, in her stylish glasses, then she did in her youth. Moreover, her fashion-forward attire could definitely be described as figure flattering. Maroney looks extremely confident in this photo. In fact, the Olympic medalist has even discussed being confident in the past and has publicly stated, “There's a lot of stress out there, and to handle it, you just need to believe in yourself; always go back to the person that you know you are, and don't let anybody tell you any different, because everyone's special and everyone's awesome.” Most fans would agree that this is great advice coming from a very inspiring young athlete. Maroney steals the show with this outstanding image.

Fun Fact: In ancient times, in places such as Sparta and Athens, gymnastics were used to help prepare armies for warfare. In Sparta in particular, the Agoge (trainee soldiers) would perform military-style gymnastic routines for various state dignitaries. This was usually done in the students final year of training, before officially joining the ranks of the Spartan army. These routines often included weapons and various other tools of war. Interestingly enough, these performances were not featured in the film 300, which depicted ancient Spartan soldiers.

11 Halloween Fun

McKayla Maroney did such an excellent job dressing up for Halloween that even some of her biggest fans probably won’t be able to recognize her in this image. The 22-year-old appears to have been barking up the right tree, with this fun and hilarious dog costume. The spotted nose and ears help complete an already excellent outfit. Moreover, Maroney ’s collar, complete with name tag, helps to illustrate the Olympic medalist's keen eye for detail. Gymnastics can a be a stressful sport for young athletes, so it’s good to see the former Fierce Five member enjoying a little downtime and some Halloween fun.

With this amazing look, McKayla Maroney shares a little Halloween magic in a shot, her fans will certainly love.

Fun Fact: German pioneers Friedrich Ludwig Jahn and Johann Freidrich GutsMuths helped make modern gymnastics what it is today. In the late-1700s and early 1800s, the two created exercises for the young man on apparatuses they designed themselves. Both the exercises and apparatus would evolve into the style of gymnastics we see featured on our television screens today. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn is known as the “father” of gymnastics, while Johann Fredrich GutMuths is sometimes referred to as the “grandfather of gymnastics.”

10 USA! USA! USA!

Now that she’s an adult, there are several images like this one, where fans can see that Maroney has transitioned into becoming an attractive young woman. This image was captured back in 2016, at the GMA games. For the those unfamiliar, GMA stands for Good Morning America – the popular ABC television show. The former Olympic star has clearly taken good care of herself, despite no longer competing in the sport of gymnastics. This image was captured in August of 2016 – roughly 6 months after Maroney officially announced her retirement. Based on this photo, she appeared to be in good spirits after hanging up the leotard, once and for all. While being a high-level gymnast takes a lot of hard work, one of the many perks is being able to retire in your early 20s.

Fun Fact: Gabby Douglas was another one of McKayla Maroney's Fierce Five teammates during the 2012 London Olympics. That year, Douglas managed to capture two gold medals in the women’s individual all-around and in the team all-around. Douglas would make another Olympic appearance for Team USA in 2016. While she didn’t have the success she did in 2012, Douglas managed to take home a gold medal in the team all-around in consecutive Games.

9 Cat Costume

It appears McKayla Maroney likes dressing up as domestic animals for Halloween. We have seen her in both a dog and cat costume in recent years.

In this shot, the former gold medalist is wearing a cat outfit that seems to be purrrrrrfect for the occasion.

The young retiree can be seen posing for a pic while standing next to a friend, who appears to be dressed as a mouse. Based on their expression, the two look to be enjoying their cat and mouse game. This image will likely remind some of the popular cartoon cat and mouse duo of Tom and Jerry from back in the day – though that may not have been what they were going for here. Whatever the case may be, the two young women did an excellent job creating their costumes.

Fun Fact: One of Maroney’s favorite gymnasts growing up was fellow American Carly Patterson. Standing at just 5-feet tall, Patterson made a name for herself in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she captures 3 medals, including gold in the women’s individual all-around competition. After an outstanding career, Patterson officially retired in 2006. Now 30, the former all-around champ is married and gave birth to her first child in April of 2017.

8 Taking A Stroll

Now 22-years old, Maroney looks much more distinguished in this photo; then she did as a child during her Olympic run. In this candid pic, she can be seen sporting a floral pattern top, jean shorts, and a large purse. Maroney is one of the few celebs out there, who appears always be ready for the camera. However, this wasn’t always the case when she was competing. When looking back, Maroney recalls, “You're in the gym eight hours a day; you're not preparing for cameras and running around and doing tour stops and making acting appearances.” Despite her comments, McKayla Maroney has generally handled the paparazzi very well over the years.

Fun Fact: One of Maroney’s Fierce Five teammates was Needham Massachusetts native Aly Raisman – who also had an outstanding Olympic career. Raisman appeared in two Olympic Games in both 2012 and 2016 respectively – capturing 6 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze) in the process. The 5-foot-2 brunette also appeared on the 16^th season of the popular television show Dancing With the Stars. Alongside her partner Mark Ballas, Raisman ended up finishing 4^th in the competition. Interestingly enough, she went by the name “Alexandra” as opposed to “Aly,” during her time on the program.

7 Jean Shorts

In this shot, we a see a more mature looking McKayla Maroney posing is a patriotic crop top and jean shorts. The gold medalist has expressed her love for crop tops in the past and was once quoted as saying, “I really like crop tops. I like how you can dress them up or down, with jeans or a skirt and heels. I like to be showy and cute. I don't want to be in just a jacket and pants and boots.” Apparently, based on this shot, Maroney knows how to make her fashions choices work.

The young retiree has shown she’s not afraid to take risks with her wardrobe choices and in this instance, it’s fair to say that the risk paid off.

Fun Fact: Honolulu, Hawaii's Kyla Ross was another one of Maroney’s Fierce Five teammates. Unlike, the others, Ross kept a relatively low profile following her Olympic appearance in London, back in 2012. While she didn’t win any individual medal’s, Ross did take home team gold, along with the rest of the Fierce Five. Interestingly enough the 5-foot-7 (which is quite tall for a female gymnast) Hawaiian announced her retirement just two days before McKayla Maroney did the same.

6 Strike A Pose

Here we see a recent photo of the new McKayla Maroney at a red carpet event. The 5-foot-3 starlet shows she that she knows how to keep it classy with this stunning outfit. She could easily be mistaken for an A-list movie star in this fetching image. Maroney once said, “You have to stay true to yourself and where you're coming from, and sometimes people see you in a different light, but you have to take it in and try to be positive about anything.” It probably wasn’t difficult stay positive after she saw this outstanding pic.

McKayla Maroney may not aspire to be Hollywood’s next leading lady. However, it’s evident that she is more than capable of looking the part.

Fun Fact: Jordan Wieber, one of the Mckayla Maroney’s Fierce Five teammates, is a gymnast out of DeWitt, Michigan. Despite receiving a great deal of attention prior to the 2012 Olympic Games, Wieber ended up struggling in London. She later revealed that she had been competing with a stress factor, which was likely a big part of the reasons she fell short of expectations. Wieber officially retired from competition back in March of 2015 – making her the first of the Fierce Five to call it quits.

5 Looking Into The Camera

Even after the height of her popularity back in 2012, a more mature Maroney went on to gain a large following on social media – though she is also known for shutting down her account periodically. However, as many folks may remember, the 5-foot-3 Olympian is no stranger to internet stardom. When looking back at her days as a meme mainstay, Maroney has stated, “I wasn't expecting two seconds of me on the medal stand to go viral after the Olympics. I came back to my room after the medal ceremony, and my dad said this picture of me doing a face I don't even remember making is blowing up.” The former world champ shows that she’s still capable of attracting attention on the internet with pleasant images such as the one here, in which she’s sporting this stylish floral shirt.

Fun Fact: In 1896, men’s gymnastics was included in what is considered to be the first “modern” Olympic Games. However, women’s gymnastics wouldn’t be added to the Games, until several years later. In fact, women’s gymnastics didn’t debut in the Olympics until 1928 – roughly 34 years after their male counterparts. Female gymnastics debuted as an Olympic sport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

4 Gazing Over Her Shoulder

With her face partially covered by her hair and jacket, it can be a little difficult to recognize McKayla Maroney in this photo. That being said, rest assured, this is indeed the former Olympic gold medal winner. At just 22 years of age, the gymnast is already a natural in front of the camera. This is probably because she has had to pay attention to her appearance even when she was competing in gymnastics. As Maroney explains, “In gymnastics, everything is a competition. You want to have your hair look the best, and your makeup looks the best. You want to be the best, and you want to have the prettiest leotard.”

While it isn’t a leotard, the jacket and jeans combo looks great on the popular Olympian, in a photo her fans will likely appreciate.

Fun Fact: While she is best known for her appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games, which were held in London England, Maroney also had a great deal of success in other competitions. In fact, she has the distinction of being the only female gymnast to defend a World Championship vault title. She is also a 2-time national champ in the vault event – having taken gold in 2011 and 2013.

3 The Casual Look

In this photo, McKayla Maroney looks about as casual as you can get. Since she’s usually a bit more dressed up, it might be difficult for some folks to recognize the vault specialist. Even in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, Maroney still looks nice. Furthermore, she is used to wearing all different types of clothes; she even did so in her Olympic days. The former champ was once quoted as saying, “When you're competing, you have to wear a sleeve that goes all the way down to your wrist. When you're training, you usually don't wear long-sleeved leotards, so there's a difference between training and competing.” In this instance, Maroney decided to go with a long sleeve option, which was a solid choice.

Fun Fact: Outside of gymnastics, McKayla Maroney has also done a bit of acting. Her first appearance as an actress came back in 2012 on the popular CW television series known as Hart of Dixie. She would end up becoming a reoccurring character who was featured in 6 episodes between 2012 and 2015. She also played a gymnast named Ellie on the Fox crime drama Bones in 2013. More recently, in 2016, she played herself on the NBC sitcom Superstore.

2 Stretch

Here we have McKayla Maroney showcasing some of the world-class flexibility that helped make her an Olympic superstar. Fans may not recognize her in yoga pants and a sports bra, but she proves that she can defiantly make the look work. Stretching is very important and can help athletes (or anyone else for that matter) avoid serious injury. That being said, Maroney has always done a good job taking care of herself. As she recalls, “Before the competition, I always take an ice bath to make my body feel more refreshed. Then I always have coffee with a little cream and sugar. It's a superstitious thing.” While it’s difficult to tell if she’s feeling refreshed in this picture, she certainly appears to be in peak physical condition.

Having been a former Olympic athlete, Maroney clearly knows a thing or two about staying in shape.

Fun Fact: McKayla Maroney is best known for competing in the vault event. The vault requires a competitor to sprint roughly 82 feet down a runway, jump onto a springboard, then propel themselves forward, while managing to stick their landing. The earliest form of the vault apparatus was invented by German gymnastics educator named Friedrich Ludwig Jahn – known as the “father of gymnastics."

1 Camera Ready

Those who haven’t followed her closely in recent years, may not know that Maroney used to post photos of herself modeling on social media fairly often – which may make it hard for some to recognize the 5-foot-3 retired gymnast in this shot. However, she’s been in front of the camera for reasons that aren’t related to social media – including her acting appearances on several popular shows. Maroney has said in the past, “You never really think about what happens after the Olympics - you're just like, 'I want to compete. I want to do well' and thinking about that. After it all happened, it was such a whirlwind. I've gotten to do so many amazing things. My favorite thing was getting into acting.” Outside of acting, Maroney has also expressed interest in pursuing a career in music. In 2016, she announced she would be debuting a single called Ghost. However, at press time, the song has yet to be released.

Fun Fact: Over the course of her illustrious career, McKayala Maroney has won a grand total of 9 gold medals. She won 3 at the National Championships, 2 at the U.S. Classic, 3 at the World Championships and 1 at the Olympics.