What makes an Olympian a star? Is it just about Olympic medals? Not quite! It’s the courage they show, and Evita Griskenas has that trait. Less than half a year ago, she faced misfortune when an injury left her unable to walk. Now, look at her- she’s ready to compete in the Olympics! Not only that, but she, alongside Lili Mizuno, will be representatives for Team USA in rhythmic gymnastics. Last June, after she broke her foot on her first leap, she didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, she dug deep, bounced back, and made a comeback. Evita understands firsthand what it means to come out swinging. When she saw Suni Lee, who triumphed over two kidney diseases and still shone at the Olympic trials, it inspired Evita, as she shared in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports.

During an exclusive interview with Atharv Phadke, content head at Essentiallysports, Evita Griskenas reminisced about her time rubbing shoulders with gymnastics icons like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera during the final day of the trials on June 30th. When Phadke asked, “So any special moments or any exclusive moments with gymnasts like Simone or Jordan Chiles or Suni Lee? Because there were a lot of great people out there on the same day that you attended.” Well, we saw the event also included a memorable group photo of all the gymnasts gearing up for Paris. However, to this question, Griskenas replied, “There were, yeah,” hinting at shared moments.

She further added about the inspiring moment she witnessed, “Watching Suni’s bars just gave me chills, and that’s not something I often experience.” Suni Lee’s performance was inspiring for all of us. The 21-year-old has been battling a kidney-related health issue since March 2023, which ended her sophomore campaign at Auburn University and kept her out of international competition for Team USA last season.

Despite the uphill battle, Suni’s strength shone through in the trials, scoring a total of 111.675 in the all-around, with Simone Biles taking first place at 117.225. But Suni dominated on the uneven bars throughout the three days, scoring 29.275, securing her first position in that event, while Biles followed closely with 28.625. As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and she truly proved that “every cloud has a silver lining.”

She further added to EssentiallySports, “And it was very inspiring to see for me a rhythmic gymnast because I feel like in artistic gymnastics there’s very much this, you know, you have to commit to what you’re doing otherwise it could not end very well and some of the skills that they’re doing are literally superhuman and so applying it to rhythmic gymnastics I also have this, you know, refreshment of needing to go forth and do everything with confidence into completion.”

Well, undoubtedly they are superhumans. Do you remember how, on the final day, Lee capped her night with a 14.100 score for her double-twisting Yurchenko on vault? The highly challenging vault! In this gymnast executes a round-off followed by a back handspring onto the vaulting table, then performs two full twists (720 degrees) in the air before aiming for a controlled landing. The difficulty of this feat cannot be overstated, and it earned Suni a standing ovation from the hometown crowd, honoring their hero who has overcome so much.

Even as Simone Biles executes the Yurchenko Double Pike, earning a remarkable 15.975, the highest score of the night by over a point. The Yurchenko Double Pike vault in gymnastics begins with a run toward the vaulting table. The gymnast performs a round-off onto the springboard followed by a back handspring onto the table. Then, they execute two flips while maintaining a bent position at the hips before landing. This move demands exceptional strength and skill to execute effectively! However, reaching the Olympics is a watershed moment for all gymnasts, including Evita Griskenas, who has weathered numerous challenges along the way.

Caught in the storm, Evita Griskenas keeps rising strong

Last June, Evita Griskenas faced a setback when she fractured her foot mere seconds into a routine leap. “Feeling it break, I knew instantly I couldn’t continue,” she recalled, describing the moment she fell into her physical therapist’s arms. Months of intensive rehabilitation followed, including a setback that forced her to miss a crucial qualifying opportunity. Despite these challenges, Griskenas rallied and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games. However, her injury resurfaced, requiring three months of strict non-walking orders. “Being away from the gym for months was incredibly tough—it’s been my whole life,” she reflected.

By March, Griskenas was painstakingly relearning to walk, dedicated to her recovery journey. By April, she received clearance to resume full training, throwing herself back into rigorous workouts by early May, just months ahead of the Olympics. Despite the timing challenges, Griskenas remained focused on refining her routines and preparing to compete on the world stage. And now bringing home Olympic glory, here’s the perfect adage for her: “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”What are your thoughts on her journey? Do you think she can clinch gold for the USA this time around?