Stephen Nedoroscik, known for those epic Olympic pommel horse routines, is totally bringing pro-dancer vibes to Dancing with the Stars! Just weeks ago, this two-time Olympic bronze medalist was all nervous, stressing about swapping his gymnastics flips for dance moves. But now? Wow, what a turnaround! His performances this season have been pure fire, leaving the crowd cheering like crazy!

And you want to know who’s behind all those jaw-dropping moves? It’s his super chill partner, Rylee Arnold! With her guidance, Stephen is mixing his natural strength with some serious rhythm, creating some seriously cool moments on the dance floor. He’s all in, giving it everything he’s got with each performance! And now, Stephen is sharing his journey on Dancing with the Stars up to this point!

In a recent chat on Joe Vulpis’s podcast, Stephen spilled the tea on his Dancing with the Stars journey. When Joe asked him about the intensity that he was bringing to the show, Stephen replied, “I’m going 100%! I might even be holding myself to too high of a standard because this is a fun experience, and I want to impress people.” He joked about how Rylee would say, “Alright, let’s take a quick water break,” and he’s like, “We don’t need a water break. Let’s just go right away because it’s fresh in my head. Let’s run this thing.”

When Joe dug deeper and asked if he checked out his rehearsal videos at home, Stephen was totally on board with it. “Literally every single day, like, immediately after rehearsals, I watch back the good runs. And then if Rylee also sends me the half runs that we did like, I’m always picking apart things. I’m going ‘okay, this knee needs to get higher, this needs to not bounce as much.” He mentioned how it’s crucial to be “your own biggest critic,” and it shows just how serious he is about nailing every move.

His commitment doesn’t just stop there—Stephen is all about striving for perfection. “it’s the exact same thing I do with gymnastics. You just go back home and it’s just really good to like sort of study what you learned that day. “ With that kind of mindset, it’s clear that he’s not just there to dance; he’s there to steal the spotlight and wow everyone on that stage!

And there’s absolutely no denying that he left everyone in awe at the Paris Olympics! But what’s the story of his journey from Tokyo to Paris like?

Stephen Nedoroscik: From Tokyo dreams to Paris stardom

So let’s rewind to the Tokyo Olympics. Stephen Nedoroscik was all set goggles on and ready to rock the stage. But things didn’t quite go as planned—he had a fall at the trials, so the team brought in another pommel horse specialist. But that didn’t keep him down for long. He came back strong, snatched gold at the World Championships later that year, and kept crushing it in national and international competitions. Oh, and a fun fact—he’s tied for the most U.S. pommel horse titles ever, according to USA Gymnastics.

Fast forward to when Stephen finally made the Olympic team in June, and he was shaken. He told reporters, “When I was very, very young, people would tell me, ‘One day you’re going to be an Olympian!’ Back then I was just a dorky little kid. And now look at me—I’m a dorky adult, going to the Olympics.” Gotta love the humility, right? He was living out that childhood dream, going from being that nerdy kid to standing tall as an Olympian.

But getting to Paris wasn’t just a straight shot. After all the ups and downs leading up to Paris, Stephen told NEPM, “This almost feels like my vengeance, right? Coming back swinging.” And boy, did he swing! He didn’t just walk away with bronze in the pommel horse, but also helped the U.S. men’s gymnastics team break a 16-year medal drought by snagging bronze in the team event. Now that’s a comeback!