Stephen Nedoroscik was one of the talented U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team, touted to break a 16-year medal drought. However, little did he know that the pommel horse specialist would arguably become Team USA’s most viral star by just being himself. After his performance sealed the team-bronze medal, Nedoroscik “blew up” on the internet, and Dancing with the Stars wasted no time in reaching out.

“I was like, Heck, yeah, we’re doing this dancing the stars thing. Let’s go. I got to call, like, while I was at the Olympics, actually,” revealed the 25-year-old. While Nedoroscik felt grateful and excited for all the appreciation online, he realized that he was in over his head. While the team finals were over, the Olympian couldn’t afford to lose focus.

“Now it’s like juggling around because I didn’t have an agency. I didn’t have anyone representing me. I had, like, this four-day span from Team final to, like, my individual final,” Stephen Nedoroscik said on the Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis. The former world champion realized that the influx of fame and attention was becoming a distraction.

Unfortunately, a sense of feeling overwhelmed only grew in the days leading up to the individual finals. The internet was flooded with memes comparing him to Clark Kent, and suddenly, the expectations skyrocketed in a matter of days. “The day before the competition, my phone was just going off!” explained the champion gymnast.

“And I was like, I can’t do it. I have to turn everything off and really make sure I’m locked in,” added Stephen Nedoroscik. Besides staying focused during the individual finals, he became the only men’s team member to replicate the bronze medal-winning success. Only after becoming a two-time bronze medalist did Nedoroscik once again think about DWTS.

“I need to get an agent.” Stephen Nedoroscik told himself. Now, with season 33 underway, he has already proved why DWTS was right to pick him. Landing on the metaphorical ‘bronze medal’ spot during his DWTS debut, the gymnast and his mentor Rylee Arnold have continued to impress fans. Yet, Nedoroscik’s long-term goals remain the same.

Stephen Nedoroscik’s plans after Dancing with the Star

The Olympic medalist has embraced the Clark Kent/Superman persona since the internet lovingly dubbed him the Clark Kent of Pommel Horse. The 2021 pommel horse world champion even slipped into the Clark Kent avatar on the DWTS stage. However, fans of the two-time Olympic medalist will be hard-pressed to find him anywhere other than the gymnasium after DWTS.

“As soon as this show is gonna be over, I’m immediately gonna go back to my alma mater, Penn State,” Stephen Nedoroscik told Joe Vulpis. He’ll dive deep and begin preparing for worlds after a “quick” gymnastics camp under head coach Randy Jepson. The Olympic medalist also revealed that he won’t be taking any breaks and continue to improve until LA 2028 arrives.

“It’s just going to keep on rolling until we get to the next Olympic Games,” Nedoroscik told the podcast host. So, while Dancing with the Stars is turning out to be a new and fun experience, the 25-year-old hopes to upgrade his bronze to Olympic gold by the time LA 2028 rolls around.