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Elizabeth Anne Okino, known as Betty Okino, was born in Uganda to a Romanian mother and a Ugandan father. Inspired by Mary Lou Retton's 1984 Olympic performance, she chose to pursue gymnastics.
Betty left home at a young age to chase her dream, supported unwaveringly by her grandmother, who even learned to drive at 70 to shuttle her to the gym. Betty became a graceful and skilled gymnast, inventing the "Okino," a triple pirouette on the beam named after her. In 1992, the American team earned the Bronze Medal, with Betty and Dominique Dawes making history as the first African American women to win Olympic gymnastics medals. After 12 years in the sport, Betty retired to follow her passion for acting.
Gymnastics instilled in Betty tenacity, perseverance, and inner strength, propelling her into Hollywood. The Olympic Bronze medalist has since appeared in TV hits like The District (2000) alongside Craig T. Nelson, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), Moesha (1996), Alive from Off Center (1984), MTV's Undressed (1999), and held regular roles on Disney Channel's Z Games (1999), Cousin Skeeter (1998), The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), Good Morning America (1975), and American Gladiators (1989).
Her latest project is a lead role in the feature film Creature Unknown (2004), also known as Inhuman, directed by Michael Burnett, with filming starting June 28, 2002. Betty stars as Coral, a spirited and beautiful African American woman, continuing to showcase the competitive drive and talent that earned her Olympic success.
