Gymnast Dominic Dawes He is mourning the death of his father-in-law, Leonardo Thompson.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, December 20 to alert fans of Thompson’s disappearance and ask for help, the four-time Olympic medalist, 49, confirmed later that day that Thompson had died. He was 79 years old.
Dawes initially wrote alongside a video addressed to fans: “Please help my family. Find my father-in-law, Leonard Thompson. White male, 79 years old, white hair. He may have suffered a helping episode and is most likely disoriented and confused. Last scene in Winchester, Virginia, he left his car abandoned in Roanoke, Virginia. Authorities believe he was picked up by a trucker and was traveling 81 south. Anything you can do to share this post and help us get national exposure so my children can see their grandfather again.”
Dawes and her husband Jeff ThompsonThey share four children: daughters Kateri and Quinn, and twin sons Dakota and Lincoln.
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A subsequent Instagram post on Saturday announced Leonard’s death, with Dawes sharing a photo of his father-in-law smiling at one of his children as a baby, and writing over the image: “Rest in peace, Dad T. We’re holding on to the memories. It is with a heavy heart that I report that my father-in-law has been found and not the way we expected.”
Dawes captioned the post with an emotional reflection on the day and her last time with Leonard. “We take comfort in knowing that he is now with our Lord and Savior. Thank you all for the prayers and support during this very difficult time. Our last moment with him was accompanying him to mass and giving him a hug and my husband and I said, ‘Come home safely,'” she wrote.
According USA todayLeonard’s body was found Saturday in southwest Virginia. The outlet reported on Sunday, December 21, that his car had been “found on Interstate 81 near Roanoke on Tuesday.” [December 16] with a flat tire and missing keys.”
According to another report from Essentially sportsAs published on Sunday, Leonard was found “deceased” by authorities from the Herndon Police Department, who “have not revealed details about the cause of death.”
Prior to Dawes’ personal plea via her filmed video, the athlete had shared a missing person notice via Instagram detailing Leonard’s appearance and his last known activity. The official notice said that while Leonard was last seen on Monday, December 15 “at 7:30 p.m.” in Herndon Virginia, he was “believed to be currently on foot” in the area at the time.
Dawes, nicknamed “Awesome Dawesome,” won her first Olympic medal when she won gold with Team USA at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In those Olympic Games, Dawes also won an individual bronze medal in the floor competition.
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Subsequent medals came at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the 2000 Games in Sydney.
Dawes founded Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy in Clarksburg, Maryland, in 2020, with additional locations in Maryland’s Rockville, opening in April 2023, and Columbia, opening in 2024.