“Laurie Hernandez’s Inspiring Journey: From Olympic Gold to Empowering Women Everywhere”

The 2016 Olympic gold and silver medallist dreams of a future in show business

New Jersey native Laurie Hernandez distinguished herself as one of the pioneering athletes born in the 21st century to clinch an Olympic gold medal, achieving this feat just shy of her 16th birthday. Standing at 5 feet (1.5 meters), the gymnast was a key member of the USA’s extraordinary “Final Five” team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, alongside standout teammates My Kayla Skinner, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, and the legendary Simone Biles, who is already lauded as possibly the greatest gymnast in history.

In Rio, Hernandez played a pivotal role in securing a gold medal in the team event. She also shone in the individual balance beam event, capturing a silver medal and besting Biles, who finished third. Now training in California, Hernandez has a particular affinity for the balance beam. “Beam routines last a minute and 30 seconds, and during that time, I get to completely immerse myself in the performance,” she shared. “It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Following the Olympics, Hernandez gained considerable fame back in the United States. She competed in and won the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Valentin Chmerkovskiy and becoming the youngest winner in the show’s history. She described the experience as “a crazy roller-coaster,” earning the nickname ‘Little Miss Dynamite’ from head judge Len Goodman. “My goal is to inspire others as I continue on my journey,” Hernandez stated. She has since carved out a secondary career in television, co-hosting American Ninja Warrior Junior and starring in the Nickelodeon series Middle School Moguls.

Laurie Hernandez reflects on her freshman year at NYU

“During that first week, like orientation week, I think people freaked out a bit and just noticed me a lot,” Hernandez admits. “Literally, as soon as the first week was over, no one could care less. It was perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted. I’m not a gymnast when I’m at school, I am just me, and I’m just trying to learn like all the other kids.”

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Hernandez acknowledges that her life is a balancing act between being an Olympic champion and Dancing with the Stars celebrity and her current role as a rising sophomore.

The student aspect of her life involves living in Brooklyn with her partner, former trampoline gymnast Charlotte Drury. Drury was a member of the U.S. Olympic team for Tokyo 2020 in 2021, serving as a replacement athlete.

Their relationship is a modern love story: “We slid into each other’s DMs on Instagram,” Hernandez says. “The classic Gen Z move.”

Both are transitioning into their post-athletic careers, with Drury focusing on photography.

“I will say that we’re doing really well, and Brooklyn has been awesome for both of us,” said Hernandez. “We both obviously were in the sports world really prominently, and now we’ve both shifted into the arts, which is funny to me because [in gymnastics] you have this entire book, the Code of Points, that dictates what’s perfect. Now we’re both like, nothing is perfect, everything is abstract.”

On the flip side, Hernandez continues to engage in speaking engagements, appearances, and sponsorships. “I’m the one who’s responsible for paying for school, so we’re definitely still working while school is happening,” she says.

There are also occasional high-profile events, like trips to the Grammy Awards, which she finds challenging to keep under wraps from her peers.

“All my friends were like, ‘You went to the Grammys across the country, and you didn’t tell us?'” Hernandez recalled. “I was like, ‘Yeah, we have a scene today. We still have homework, nothing’s changed. Let’s keep going.’ I think moments like that are when my classmates remember [who I am].”

Despite all the changes in Hernandez’s life, gymnastics remains a significant part of it.

She was at the U.S. Classic, where seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles made her return to competition, working with NBC, and plans to be at the U.S. Championships in the same capacity.

Seeing the sport up-close, including the return of her Rio teammate Biles, tempts her, she admits.

“I always kind of do,” she says when asked if she ever gets the itch to return to gymnastics. “I usually have to smother it a little bit because… I don’t know, I’ll see people doing beam and floor. Those two, I think, they’ll always have my heart.

“I could act my little heart out, write as many books as I want, and I don’t think anything will compare to this aspect of performing while doing something incredible and scary and quite dangerous,” Hernandez continued. “But to me, there’s just so much joy in it. Beam, I would get nervous, but it wasn’t hard for me. I felt very grounded in it. There’s always going to be a part of me that thinks, ‘Maybe I should come back,’ and then I’m like, ‘No, you literally have class tomorrow.'”