“Biggest Joy in the World”: Hezly Rivera’s Father Pinches Gymnast’s Mother to Reality as Their 16-Year-Old Daughter Qualifies for Paris Olympics

It was a very wake up and smell the coffee moment at the Rivera household. With the deafening roars of applause surrounding her, victory was definite about this wunderkind who will be en route Paris. Before the second day of the women’s competition at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials officially began, 80 percent of the five-person team was virtually locked in. “Take it one event at a time,” advised newly minted Olympic gymnast Hezly Rivera, reflecting on her journey to the Paris Olympics. At just 16 years old, Rivera’s steadfast focus has paid off. She has secured her spot on the Olympic team, an achievement even seasoned athletes like Simone Biles commend.

For Rivera, this milestone marks a remarkable ascent in the sport; she was only five when Biles clinched her first World Championship. However, amidst the joyous celebration, emotions ran high. Rivera’s father, overwhelmed with pride, pinched her mother—a poignant reminder of the sacrifices and emotions that accompany such monumental achievements.

A family’s pride and emotion: Hezly Rivera’s journey to Olympic glory

In a recent interview with NBC Sports on YouTube, Hezly Rivera’s parents were interviewed alongside the parents of every gymnast who made it onto the team. In a heartwarming moment, Rivera’s father Henry Rivera, who is a senior director at Medidata, lightly pinched her mom’s arm to confirm that the 16-year-old had indeed made it onto her first-ever team. Earlier, while Hezly Rivera walked out after securing her spot in the trials, her father was so overcome with emotion that he was wiping tears from his eyes and couldn’t even hold up the phone to record the moment.

He described the feeling in the interview saying it’s “Incredible” and that he has “no words.” Adding, “I Can’t Describe everything that is going through my head. It’s the biggest joy in the world.” The support has been consistent. Two years ago, when Hezly made it to DTB Pokal, Henry applauded her on his LinkedIn for overcoming every obstacle. Despite fractures that made training impossible and the COVID-19 pandemic, which made training even harder, the WOGA gymnast did not lose faith. Henry called his daughter his ‘hero.’ 

This year at the trials, Hezly continued to make her parents proud. In the first rotation of the trials, she scored 14.3 on the uneven bars. During her second rotation on the balance beam, she earned a score of 14.275. Her routine featured a switch leap to switch-half and a back handspring to back handspring two-feet double pike, which impressed both judges and audiences alike with its difficulty. Additionally, she scored 14.200 on the floor exercise, although she did experience a small stumble during one of her tumbling passes.

Her Yurchenko double-full vault earned her a 14.2 as well. Even NBC Olympics tweeted a clip of Rivera’s balance beam routine saying, “Imagine being a junior in high school and competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials?! That dream is a reality for 16-year-old Hezly Rivera. #USAGTrials24” She finished with an overall score of 111.150 over the days in 54.825 and 56.325 on the first and second day, respectively. Moreover, her ability to train for 6 hours every day while also juggling her academics really goes to show what champions are made of. Their dedication goes beyond the sport, and is reflected in every aspect of their lives. 

Hezly Rivera’s unmatched determination was evident from a pretty nascent age itself.

• At the 2022 Winter World Cup, she was cerebral, posting an impressive third in the all-around.
• 22023 was similarly a year of reckoning for her as she made her way to Winter Cup and nailed the all-around.
• Probably one of the youngest and the most committed gymnasts there is, she became age-eligible at a mere 15. The 2024 Winter Cup saw her climbing the steep ladder of glory and revere where she again miraculously placed third in the all around. With this upward trajectory, there’s no telling what this young formidable woman is capable of and what glass ceilings she’ll be shattering in Paris.

How Hezly Rivera became an Olympic gymnast at 16?

Rivera’s journey began at a young age, with a picture of her alongside Simone Biles before she even reached her teenage years. Over the past two years, Rivera has been singularly focused on her Olympic dream. In a TikTok post between 2021 and 2022, she shared that her ultimate high school dream was to compete in the Paris Olympics. By 2023, she solidified her position by winning the US Gymnastics Championships in San Jose. Her dedication and focus have now culminated in securing her spot on the Olympic team, marking a remarkable ascent in the sport.

Hezly Rivera scored an impressive 52.000 in the finals. That same year, she also secured the all-around title at the Winter Cup with a leaderboard score of 53.350. Earlier this year, at the Winter Cup where both Kayla DiCello and Skye Blakely withdrew due to Achilles injuries, Rivera clinched third place with a score of 54.000. Additionally, Rivera won bronze in the floor event and gold on the balance beam. In 2022, at the DTB Pokal Cup in Stuttgart, she was part of the gold-winning team. She also secured silver at the 2023 Turkiye Junior World Championships and bronze at the 2024 Jesolo Trophy in Italy. Rivera’s consistent podium finishes underscore that her qualification for this year’s Paris team is well-deserved. Hezly Rivera deserves every bit of admiration and respect she is receiving right now.