Needham's Aly Raisman lands cover of Improper Bostonian

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

Cover courtesy of The Improper Bostonian

Improper Bostonian cover with Aly Raisman

Needham’s Olympian Aly Raisman has landed another magazine cover: this time, it’s the July 25th issue of The Improper Bostonian, where she talks about who her toughest competition is, what she’s into outside of the gym and how she stays psyched for seven-hour workouts all over the world.

Raisman, 18, will represent America on the U.S. Gymnastics team in the 2012 Summer Games in London. Her hometown is rooting for her, with flashing signs posted on major roadways wishing her luck and slumber parties planned for the nights she competes.

The support is a big motivator: in the Bostonian interview, Raisman says that her pride in representing her country is what keeps her going through tough days.

"There are multiple times during the week when I’m really tired and don’t even want to get out of bed," she tells the magazine. "But then I think about making the team and representing the USA, and that’s what really motivates me. When I feel like I can’t do it, or I keep falling, I just look to my coaches. They say, “Even if you feel like you’re dying, nobody cares, so just go out and do it.”"

It’s Raisman’s second major cover this month: she appears also on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the rest of the U.S. gymnastics team.