Battling Three Medical Conditions, Stephen Nedoroscik Gets Candid About Performing on DWTS: ‘Not My Normal’

‘The Pommel Horse Guy’ always needs a special item to keep going—and no, it’s not his signature Clark Kent glasses! After helping Team USA break a 16-year curse by snagging an Olympic medal, Stephen Nedoroscik has been stealing the spotlight. He is not just a one-trick pony—nope, he joined Dancing With The Stars! And with that, he is the first male Olympic gymnast to grace the show.

He swapped pommel horse spins for fancy footwork. Not too shabby for a kid from Massachusetts who is juggling not one, but three medical conditions! First, he has got strabismus, which makes him cross-sighted (hence the glasses), and also has coloboma, which affects the development of his eyes.

He also has asthma. In fact, in an interview with The New York Post, Nedoroscik revealed that he has to carry his inhaler all the time. That might explain why he seems so serious sometimes. But there’s something more to him. He has embodied his title: ‘Clark Kent of Gymnastics.’ These conditions don’t stop him from constantly smiling and cracking jokes.

Opening up about his real personality, Stephen Nedoroscik told The New York Post, “I mean 100 percent… Most of America sees me serious on the pommel horse spinning around. This is not my normal, and it’s fun to try new things, try new hairstyles, and boogie down on the floor.” 

In fact, his DWTS partner Rylee Arnold also shared her thoughts on Nedoroscik’s personality. “How much you can dedicate yourself to something and his positive attitude. He doesn’t let negative things bring him down, he only lets it drag him up. I think I’ve learned how to approach things super positively or more positively than I did before, and he’s taught me a lot about getting through things, and I just think he is so inspirational.”

Well, owing to all the experience he is gaining as a dancer, Nedoroscik also stated that he would love to feature in Taylor Swift’s music video. “My sisters would be so jealous if that happened!”

Stephen Nedoroscik is clearly having the time of his life in season 33 of Dancing With The Stars. Rocking a funky 80s mullet-style wig, he and his partner, Rylee Arnold, took on Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” with none other than guitarist Joel Hoekstra playing live. This fourth performance on the show was electric, lighting up the DWTS stage and earning a solid 32/40 score.

For his fans, this is a whole new side of Nedoroscik. Dancing is so different from gymnastics, yet with each episode, he is looking more and more like a pro. His Superman-theme paso doble from episode two already turned heads, and now he is raising the stakes even higher.

With all the praise flooding in, it’s clear Nedoroscik is on track to be the next big thing in U.S. men’s gymnastics. But behind all that success, Nedoroscik’s physical complications have a significant contribution.

Is Stephen Nedoroscik’s eye condition a blessing in disguise? 

Cheryl Nedoroscik, Stephen’s proud mother, recently appeared on Spotify’s ‘Got It From My Mom’ podcast. Reflecting on a variety of topics, the Olympian’s mother opened up on her son’s eye complications.

Battling two threats at once, Cheryl stated that it was very hard for Stephen to drive. This happened because the Olympic champion could not adjust to bright lights due to an underdeveloped pupil and hence, wouldn’t drive. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Stephen Nedoroscik. How?

With the stress of learning how to drive off his shoulders, Stephen Nedoroscik devoted himself fully to gymnastics. Being driven around by his parents, the Pommel Horse Guy perfected his craft to emerge as an Olympic champion. Recalling Stephen’s childhood days, Cheryl mentioned that he did not have a normal social life like the others of his age. He practiced at the gym throughout the week and only had time off on weekends. 

Even so, he still had to juggle his homework and other responsibilities, making it tough for him to fully enjoy the ride. But fast forward to 2024, and it looks like all those sacrifices have paid off in a big way. The Clark Kent of gymnastics, Stephen Nedoroscik, is now one of the hottest prospects in both the gymnastics world and the entertainment industry!

In fact, you would have noticed that he usually removes his glasses before performing his gymnastics routine. Why? Because his glasses might fall off or ‘fly somewhere’ if he leaves them on. So Nedoroscik actually competes without being able to see clearly. Now that’s something else!