Back in 2021, things became as bad as they could for Stephen Nedoroscik. The gymnast, many now know as the Pummel Horse Guy or the Gymnastics’ Clark Kent, was going in for his very first Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. However, sickness and a troubling elbow injury forced him to rest for at least eight days before taking the stage in the first round where he “couldn’t handle things that required a certain level of endurance.” In the next round, he scored a best individual of 15.500, bringing in the gold medal. And that’s been his thing.

“Sometimes, I like to push the boundaries.” Many athletes like to challenge themselves, but what Nedoroscik has been able to do is quite different. You may know him for helping Team USA win a men’s gymnastics medal in Paris, nation’s first men’s team medal since 2008. But did you know that the bronze medalist with Strabismus or crossed eyes and Colobama challenged himself to compete on the world’s largest stage without glasses? Not the best time to try new things, but his third-best score of 14.866 told a different story. Stephen Nedoroscik clearly does not seem to have the word ‘impossible’ in his dictionary. Rather, he is pretty much interested in doing what most would not have dared to do.

Nedoroscik can solve a Rubik’s cube in under-10 seconds, with a personal record of 8.6 seconds, and he’s the only 43rd person in the world to solve the ‘hardest’ Killer Sudoku after 45 hours of puzzling. But he had one wish since his injury in 2021 that just came true and he couldn’t be prouder.

Setting a goal for himself four years ago, the ‘Pommel Horse Guy’ wanted to complete a 10-second handstand. But with his hand still healing, the dream was a farfetched idea. But now, the Olympic bronze medalist has spectacularly broken his own goal, and even better.

Trying to do a 10-second handstand, Stephen managed to go beyond the mark and held himself up in the air for 15 seconds, Nedoroscik’s joy knew no bounds. Taking to his Instagram, he posted his incredible achievement.

He wrote, “15 second one arm handstand!! A 10 second one arm handstand has been a side goal of mine since 2021 when I was in a cast. The first tour stop I started to practice them was in Columbus on Feb 7th, and I set a new record today here in Columbus 🤯. Such a cool full circle moment as we enter the “bonus round” and woah has time flown.” Those who have witnessed him on the horse might not think that big of it, though. But for Stephen, this was a big deal.

This, yet again, was an example of how much the gymnast has worked. Of course, even a double handstand requires you to have wrist and arm strength and a tremendous balance. So for this to do it single-handedly, even if trying to keep his balance at times, shows that his determination and hunger to challenge himself is still up to the mark.

After all this time, too, he could not pull off the stunt in one go. In the video that Nedorscik uploaded, he could be seen struggling significantly to execute the handstand. Falling down a number of times, Stephen kept trying until he fell down. And perhaps this is one of his biggest USPs to succeed in life like he shared in last October on his Instagram account with a photo of him on the stage holding the gold medal in 2021.

“Throwback to 3 years ago when I became USA’s first ever Pommel Horse World Champion 🌎🥇I was the sickest I had ever been leading up to this competition which made me miss 8 days of training and forced me to arrive 4 days late, as well as having the rarest wrist stress fracture during my performances (8th documented case🤯). I had so many chances to give up, but instead I pushed forward and made history for my country 🇺🇸.”

Going into the Paris Olympics, Nedoroscik was in significant tension. After all, the US men’s gymnastics team did not win an Olympic medal for years! And when their best bet, Brody Malone, had several falls, most fans gave up hope. But not Nedoroscik. Instead, he performed one of the most impressive Pommel Horse routines to make Team USA claim the Olympic bronze. And now, he has done it once again! 

After all, the Olympian has been doing these things for quite some time. Soon after finishing his Olympic stint, Nedoroscik decided to take part in Dancing With the Stars! 

Who knew Stephen Nedoroscik could dance like that?

Some stars shine brighter when the spotlight fades. Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik is one of them. Fresh off a historic bronze on the pommel horse and helping Team USA end a 15-year drought with a team medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nedoroscik stepped into uncharted territory — the Dancing With the Stars stage. With zero background in dance, he could have faltered. But instead, he flew.

However, he couldn’t have achieved the new height alone. At the heart of his transformation stood Rylee Arnold—his pro partner, choreographer, and quiet force of encouragement. Week after week, the duo lit up the floor, their chemistry growing in sync with Stephen’s developing footwork. In a behind-the-scenes post, he offered fans a glimpse of the grind behind the glitter. 

One photo in particular, captioned simply “coast to coast,” captured the magic of his latest performance. But it was Rylee’s comment—“The chair handstand!!! I’m impressed!!!” sealed that moment. That impossible mid-dance stunt became symbolic of his DWTS journey: unexpected, bold, and unforgettable. Nedoroscik, now a co-host on Dancing With the Stars Season 34, has truly leveled up.

What began as a wish to try something new has turned into a passion that still keeps him on stage. From elite gymnast to trained dancer—Stephen’s not done chasing dreams.