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Raven Magwood inspires others, and now she’s ready to tackle Hollywood By april a. morris | staff
Raven Magwood is accustomed to reaching for lofty goals. She’s authored several books and garnered accolades in gymnastics and track and field, not to mention hosting a television show. And at 19 years old, she finished her communications and writing degree at Clemson University. Magwood, who just celebrated a birthday, said she is ready to take on her next challenge: full-time speaking and writing. She authored her first book at 11
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18 THE Journal | JANUARY 25, 2013
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A young Raven Magwood with some of the trophies and medals she won as a gymnast.
years old when friends and family suggested that she document her journey from a 5-year-old beginner to a level-10 gymnast (just short of Olympic-level) at 10 years old. She went all the way to the 2004 USAIGC National Gymnastics Championships. Magwood penned her first book, “On to Victory!” and not only included the successes, but the challenges she faced along the way. “I had three surgeries that sidelined me from the sport, I had chronic knee pain, I had negative people who told me I wouldn’t be successful in my life. I put that in a book to help other kids who were trying to reach their goals as well,” she said. Gymnastics practice consumed up to four hours each day, so Magwood looked for another athletic outlet that would allow her to continue to speak to groups, landing on track and field. There she also won multiple competitions and accolades. At 12 years old, Magwood spoke at a conference hosted by Steadman Graham after being contacted about her first book. Soon she was invited to speak to multiple groups about her story. Once, after speaking at a church service, Magwood said a man came up afterward and told her he had been planning to take his own life, but after hearing her speech, he changed his mind. “From that point, I said to myself that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to inspire people and I wanted to touch people. I realized that speaking was a way I could do that,” she said. Since then, she’s graduated high school early and started college at 16, written “Double-Sided,” a novel, and another inspirational book, “The 7 Practices of Exceptional Student Athletes.”
Years before she became a poised public speaker and athlete, Magwood said she was a shy child. Athletic performances and public speaking engagements brought her out of her shell, she said. Just as she tells students she talks with, the three Ds she outlined in her first book – dedication, determination and discipline – help her reach her life goals. Magwood is now waiting to learn where the movie will be filmed and will be on the set – she’ll be listed as a co-producer. She is willing to live temporarily wherever filming will happen, but is not making plans to relocate to Los Angeles, she said.
Raven Magwood
Though this is her first film screenplay, Magwood is no stranger to a smaller screen. She took a year and a half off between high school and college to work on the locally broadcast “Raven Magwood Show.” Magwood was in charge of finding guests, including Dr. Alveda King (niece of Martin Luther King Jr.) and an “American Idol” competitor, she said.
While she awaits news on the film, Raven Magwood is scheduling speaking engagements and spending time writing. She’s busy working on a new film screenplay idea, not to mention a television miniseries. Contact April A. Morris at amorris@communityjournals.com.
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The next chapter
“Double-Sided” has led her into new territory: screenwriting. “So many people told me that they could see it as a movie, so I wrote it,” she said. Magwood didn’t take a course in screenwriting at Clemson; she simply researched and wrote. “It’s one of those things where Google comes in handy,” she said. Just a few months ago, Magwood learned that a production company wants to produce the film. She didn’t have to pitch or shop the screenplay around, but met company representatives when they were being interviewed on the same television show as Magwood.