Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik is a name in the gymnastics world. Two-time Olympic medalist, the ‘Pommel Horse Guy,‘ faced many ups and downs in his journey. Everybody does—you may say. But Nedoroscik’s journey has been an inspiration for everyone out there. Despite suffering from many health issues, he has come a long way. Nedoroscik has done wonders in gymnastics to show his dance moves on the DWTS stage.

Behind the spotlight, Stephen quietly faces serious medical conditions that would sideline many talented people. Stephen Nedoroscik is battling two serious eye conditions, and if this was not enough, asthma took a toll on his body. But when and how did he get diagnosed with the issue, and why did that happen?

Stephen Nedoroscik’s fight started from day one.

Nedoroscik began his gymnastics career in 2017 with the Penn State Nittany Lions and became the NCAA National Champion in his freshman season. He won two bronzes in the 2024 Paris Olympics and never looked back. He is battling chronic conditions like strabismus, coloboma, and asthma. But when were the eye conditions diagnosed?

In an interview with a YouTube channel, ‘ The Squeeze’, Stephen Nedoroscik shared his story of health issues, especially eye conditions. When interviewer Tay asked him if he had thought of any surgery, he mentioned the options. He said, “There are some really cool options, like, uh, my mom is about to go and have an operation done where they’re going to tattoo her eye to act like an iris.” Despite having four medical conditions, he accepted all the challenges and came out stronger.

The gymnastics star got these rare conditions from her mother, and her sister has this too. After hearing about the surgery option, Tay got curious and asked if her mother had the same condition. Nedoroscik admitted and confirmed, “Yeah, she has it in one eye, and then my sister has it in one eye. I’m the one who’s lucky enough to get it in both eyes.” Though he said it with a smile on his face, clearly it’s not easy to deal with such issues.

Initially, many wondered if he wore sunglasses to look cool, but the reality was different. Nedoroscik’s eye conditions are genetically passed, and it was diagnosed too early and easily for him. He mentioned the diagnosis: “I got diagnosed straight up the womb; the doctor looked at me and said he’s cross-eyed.” His cousins also have some traits, but Nedoroscik has the worst condition. He mentioned, “We have the congenital Kaba, and um yeah some of my cousins have it but somehow I just got really lucky and managed to get the worst of it that my family’s ever seen.” For many, it may seem impossible, but Nedoroscik took the opportunity to show the world that hard work can defy any odds. He performed so well in gymnastics and is now nailing it on the DWTS stage.

Stephen’s journey beyond gymnastics

When no one could ever imagine that anyone with serious medical conditions could reach this level. Stephen Nedoroscik surprises everyone out there with his debut as a dancer on ‘Dance With The Stars’. Even Rylee Arnold, Stephens’s DWTS partner, considers him an inspiration. Arnold once said, “I think I’ve learned how to approach things more positively than I did before.”

Now, Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold have reached the finale of DWTS season 33. Being a non-star is a huge achievement for him. During the DWTS journey, he even dethroned Ilona Maher after her 6-week-long domination. It must have been a proud moment for him and his family. In the initial phase of DWTS, his glasses used to come off and create problems, but still, he didn’t let anything come in his way.

Nedoroscik’s mother, Cheryl Nedoroscik, once revealed that Stephen’s childhood was not the same as other children; he barely got time to socialize. But here in 2024, Stephen Nedoroscik is a trendsetter in both gymnastics and the entertainment field. The cherry on top is that he has started moving outside his world; he recently collaborated with an eyewear brand, ‘Eyemart Express.’

He is always seen with his glasses on because he can’t see properly and has to do his gymnastics without seeing anything. Stephen is an inspiration for those who are struggling in their life, be it physically or medically. These are sufficient reasons for him to still be serious. Who wouldn’t be while juggling serious medical conditions? But he has surpassed all; it is yet to be seen what Stephen Nedoroscik has next in his bucket.