Amy Chow

Amy Chow was born on May 15, 1978, in San Jose, California. She began gymnastics training at the age of three, joining an accelerated program at West Valley Gymnastics School by age five under coaches Mark Young and Diane Amos. Chow quickly distinguished herself, becoming the first gymnast from her school to achieve elite status at age 11 and commencing national competitions in 1990. Her early career highlights include a silver medal at the 1994 World Championships in Dortmund, Germany, and further success at the 1995 Pan American Games where she secured gold in team and vault, silver on uneven bars, and bronze in the all-around.

Chow is best known for her participation in two Summer Olympics. In 1996, she was a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” the U.S. women’s team that won the United States’ first Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. At the Atlanta Games, Chow also earned an individual silver medal on the uneven bars. Following this achievement, she and her teammates participated in the John Hancock Tour. She returned to elite competition for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, a challenging endeavor that required her to balance a rigorous training schedule with her undergraduate studies in biology at Stanford University. She notably finished second in the all-around at the Olympic Trials and contributed to the U.S. team’s eventual bronze medal, awarded retrospectively in 2010. Chow has two uneven bars skills, the “Chow/Khorkina” and the “Chow II,” named after her, and was nicknamed “the Trickster” for her ability to execute difficult maneuvers.

After her gymnastics career, Chow pursued a career in medicine. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2002 and earned her medical degree from Stanford Medical School in 2007. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and now practices as a general pediatrician in Northern California. Chow’s dedication extends beyond her professional life; she is married to Jason Ho, an orthopedic surgeon, since July 10, 2010, and they have two children. She was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame twice and the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, also receiving the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and the Outstanding Overseas Chinese Award.