Hezly Rivera Takes Break From US National Camp to Wish Father on His Big Day

Life has beautifully opened its wings for Hezly Rivera. At 16, she has an Olympic gold medal, the junior all-around national title, and a silver medal for being a part of the team in the junior world championships. Her brilliance in the sport caught the eyeballs of the bigwigs in the US college gymnastics circuit. She received calls from the SEC powerhouses to join their program to complete her graduation. The pack included names like Florida, Oklahoma, and LSU. Hezly committed to LSU after visiting the campus. For the Tigers, she is the first Olympic champion to enter the roster. But for her, the entire journey seems to be a dream that has found its final shape with her parents’ help. 

Yes, Hezly has had massive help from her parents to become what she is today. From an early age, her loving parents left their mark on her gymnastic development. Now, it is time to celebrate their contribution. The teenage Olympian recently talked about them.

Hezly Rivera drops a quirky message for her father 

Hezly Rivera is in the US National Gymnastics camp now, honing her gymnastics moves. She has already set her eyes on the LA Olympics, scheduled in 2028. Also, the commitment to the LSU Tigers is there now. So the need for a rigorous training schedule can be evaluated. But she took an off day on December 6 from her schedule. Any special reason? She wanted to spend the day with her father, Henry Rivera. It was his birthday on Friday, and his proud daughter planned to celebrate the occasion. She shared a glimpse of this celebration by posting a quirky message on social media. 

On December 6, Hezly Rivera shared two snapshots of her with Henry on her Instagram story. In one of those snapshots, she put the caption, “happy birthday pa! i hope the rest of your day is amazing (spending it with me) i love you.” Another image followed, showcasing a funny moment between the two. The proud father’s response has yet to come. And it will be rather emotional.

In the past, the world has already seen the Rivera family getting emotional several times. Curious to know when?

The family stands together at every turn

In the US Olympic gymnastics trials this year, a scene went viral. No, it wasn’t about the participants. Rather, the cameras focused on Henry Rivera’s breaking into tears watching his daughter winning a berth in the Olympics. All the struggles of the past came as a flashback to him and his wife, Heidy Ruiz, regarding Hezly’s gymnastics development. After all, only these three knew what it took to get there.

From admitting her daughter to a gymnastics school at 5 to shifting to Plano for the sake of Hezly’s training, the patriarch of the Hezly family took all calls. He even gifted his daughter Kobe Bryant’s memoir, “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.” Behind such gifting, his only plan was to inspire Hezly to fight the battle head-on.

In the trials, the proud daughter even fought with Simone Biles to claim her place in the final berth. On that night of the Olympic trials, Henry saw everything fall into place. Naturally, for him, it brought an unfathomable joy. While soaking up the emotions, he eventually said, “We couldn’t be more excited. Making the team is the main thing but being the youngest out of all the athletes, that’s something that you can’t take that away from her, ever.”

In Paris as well, Hezly Rivera found her family alongside her, proving to be her rock. She eventually failed to make a mark on the individual events. But she passed her biggest test with flying colors, as she clinched the gold in the team event, making her parents proud. This feeling led her to post “Blessing Family,” on Instagram just after her Olympic event. Now she has another chance to celebrate her father’s contribution.