Picture this: a 17-year-old Olympic gold medalist stepping back onto the international stage after nearly a year away, carrying not just her own dreams but the support of gymnastics legends and a family who moved mountains to make her success possible. That’s exactly what’s happening as Hezly Rivera prepares to lead Team USA at the 2025 Pan American Championships in Panama City. But it wouldn’t have been possible without some gems!

When Rivera first stepped into the spotlight at just 16, she wasn’t alone; she had Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Jordan Chiles by her side, creating what would become one of the most powerful support systems in Olympic gymnastics history. Well, then, 16-year-old high school junior Hezly Rivera made her name known to the world on 30 June as she was named to the Paris 2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team, and suddenly her timeline shifted from hoping for 2028 to achieving gold in 2024.

But behind every great athlete stands an even greater support system. As Inside Gym’s recent cover story highlighted, Rivera’s return to international competition wouldn’t have been possible, as she shared, “I am so incredibly grateful for my family because I would not be here without them. I’ve moved so many times. I moved two or three times in New Jersey alone just to find a good gym, and they sacrificed everything for me.”

This isn’t your typical sports family tale—this is about parents who uprooted their lives multiple times, changing houses and schools, all in pursuit of finding the right environment for their daughter’s dreams. Her brother’s sacrifice particularly stands out, as Rivera acknowledges: “I really give a lot of the credit to my brother as well because he had to move schools so many times… he’s my biggest supporter.”

Now, as Hezly Rivera prepares for her first international competition since Paris, the weight of expectation feels different. She’s no longer the wide-eyed teenager hoping to make a future Olympic team—she’s an Olympic champion ready to prove that Paris wasn’t a fluke. Joined by seasoned competitors like Tiana Sumanasekera and Dulcy Caylor, Rivera’s leadership role represents a full-circle moment.

The same support system that helped her exceed her wildest dreams is now the foundation from which she’ll mentor others, just as Biles, Lee, and Chiles once did for her. Yet, her journey to the Paris Olympics was far from entirely smooth sailing.

Hezly Rivera almost missed the Paris Olympics

The path to Olympic glory is rarely smooth, but for gymnast Hezly Rivera, the journey to Paris 2024 began with one of the most challenging periods of her young career. In the week leading up to the crucial U.S. Classic in May 2024, Rivera faced devastating personal loss when her grandmother passed away.

Compounding her grief, severe storms across the country made travel to Hartford, Connecticut, nearly impossible, forcing Rivera and other Texas-based gymnasts to arrive in the middle of the night, just hours before competition. The emotional and physical toll showed in her performance—a shocking 24th-place finish that seemed to dash her Olympic dreams.

“That whole month, honestly, was not very good for me,” Rivera reflected in a December interview. What followed was a remarkable transformation that would define Rivera’s character and career. After returning from Hartford, the 16-year-old had a pivotal meeting with her coaches and family, who provided the encouragement she desperately needed.

Just two weeks later at the U.S. Championships, Rivera delivered a performance that erased all memory of her struggles, finishing sixth in the all-around with eight stellar routines. “It kind of just clicked. I didn’t overthink much,” she explained. “I kind of just let my body do what I needed to do because once I did my normal, I knew I would be fine.” This breakthrough performance ignited a belief that carried her through to a fifth-place finish at U.S. trials, ultimately earning her a coveted spot on Team USA.

The fairy tale culminated in Paris, where Hezly Rivera stood alongside gymnastics legends Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey as they claimed Olympic team gold. Yet even in that golden moment, the magnitude hadn’t fully registered. “I’d say about a month after the Olympics, that’s when it hit,” Rivera admitted. “I was looking back at old photos and stuff, and I’m like, Wow, that’s crazy… I’m an Olympic gold medalist.“

Now with her sights set on the 2025 World Championships and potentially LA 2028, Rivera has learned perhaps the most valuable lesson of all: how to persevere through adversity, reset when necessary, and savor every moment of an extraordinary journey that began with heartbreak and ended in Olympic glory.