The Olympic Games in 2024 provided the action that fans have been craving for a long time. The same goes for gymnastics, which saw a lot of epic performances from these talents, especially the younger gymnasts, who were waiting to make their mark in the pinnacle of the sport. And one of the youngest members of Team USA’s women’s squad captured the attention of the crowd by securing her career-first Olympic gold medal with her team.

Indeed, the accolade was a defining moment in her career and something that she will be cherishing for a long time. Hezley Rivera significantly contributed to Team USA’s success in the French capital, and her performance was exceptional, especially considering it was her first Olympic Games. Months after all the success and fame, recently, the American gymnast opened up about a certain activity that she keeps on the difficulty list over participating in an Olympic gymnastics event.

A different kind of challenge for Olympic medalist

Hezly Rivera was a talent who blasted her way through various competitions just to get that seat on the Olympic team. And she didn’t disappoint the expectations that were upon her shoulders. Indeed, she performed more than what the fans expected, making her one of the top talents to watch out for in the future. At just 16 years old, the gymnast has a bright future ahead of her in gymnastics.

However, during the Olympic campaign, Rivera was engaged in a variety of other activities, including numerous hobbies. Among these activities, one of her ambitions is to learn to drive. Indeed, she has a big bucket list of attending the World Championships and even the next edition of the Olympic Games, but still, she wants herself to get a hang of her car’s steering wheel.

Talking to the Olympics.com, Rivera opened up about her goals of learning to drive, stating, “I started driving in a parking lot. Hopefully, I can get on the road soon because I’m not really that bad at driving in a parking lot. Hopefully, I can convince my parents.” She’s just 16 years old, but she already wants to rev up that engine and go for a ride in the automobile. Well, despite being an Olympic gold medalist, there’s a lot to learn for her. 

So when Rivera was asked if participating in the Olympic Games was difficult or learning to drive was, she gave an intriguing reply, stating, “I don’t know! I actually prepared for the Olympics and I knew what to do. But learning to drive, I have no idea what I’m doing, so probably learning to drive [is more nerve-wracking].” Despite her dominance on the mat in Paris, she is still adjusting to the challenges of the road. Indeed, the 2024 season delivered a ton of action, but she also made sure to make the most out of it during the off-season.

Hezly meets teammates post-Olympics

The “Golden Girls” was the name of the Team USA women’s gymnastics squad, led by Simone Biles. Her team members helped her out to reach the top step of the podium, and the roster included talents like Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera. After the big event, they drifted apart, but fate had other plans for three of the five team members. Indeed, Lee, Carey, and Rivera met with each other. And what’s a meetup without pictures?

The three American gymnasts took numerous selfies, each with a unique expression on their faces. But what about their outfits? Indeed, the meet was special, and their outfits were unique. Rivera took the lead, donning a black top, a black coat for coverage, and blue jeans. Lee, on the other hand, donned a similar black top, a black blazer, and black jeans. And when it came to Carey, she was wearing a top and a puffer jacket, followed by blue jeans.

Indeed, it was quite a meet-up after a tiring 2024 season, and they needed it to refresh their minds and look forward to more in the future.