Stephen Nedoroscik is truly turning out to be a superhero! After his incredible performance secured victory for the men’s gymnastics team in Paris, fans affectionately dubbed him the “Pommel Horse Guy.” His newfound fame has even led some to call him the Clark Kent of gymnastics, thanks to his charming looks that resemble the iconic DC Comics character and Superman-like prowess on the Pommel Horse.

Now, we all know that a big part of Clark Kent’s look is his spectacles. While Nedoroscik rocks similar frames, there’s a unique story behind them. It turns out that his trusty glasses aren’t just part of his signature style; as he’s mentioned before, Stephen has two eye conditions that affect his vision. But despite this challenge, his mom reveals that these conditions have actually earned him some special perks!

In an appearance on the ‘Got It From My Mom’ podcast Cheryl Nedoroscik, mother of Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, opened up about her son’s unique challenges. When asked if Stephen could drive, she simply nodded and said no. While he can see fine, it’s the bright lights that really throw him for a loop—his sensitivity to light can make it tough for him to process what’s going on around him.

Stephen’s got two eye conditions—strabismus and coloboma—that make things a little trickier. Strabismus, or crossed eyes, means his eyes don’t always see things in alignment, which can lead to double vision. But hey, he’s got a cool party trick: he can switch his dominant eye on command let’s not forget the signature move of removing his glasses before competing! Then there’s coloboma, which means some normal tissue has been missing in his eyes since birth, leaving him with a sensitivity to light. So yes, bright lights? Not his best friend.

When podcast host Jennifer Vickery Smith asked Cheryl if it was tough for Stephen as a teenager, she laughed it off: “No, he’s—are you kidding? He had us to drive him around. No, he didn’t. So when you’re in gymnastics, your life isn’t exactly like a normal high school person because you’re at the gym five days a week, and Saturday morning you don’t have a lot of time off.”  So, while most teens might be hitting up the mall, Stephen was likely perfecting his routines—gearing up for his Olympic experience!

And, all his hard work seems to have paid off brilliantly. Stephen not only helped Team USA men’s gymnastics win an Olympic medal after 16 years. He also secured a bronze medal for himself in the Pommel Horse category. Following his triumph, Stephen Nedoroscik enjoyed his undivided attention and went on to venture out into the entertainment industry. With the announcement coming about Stephen’s Dancing With The Stars stint, the entire gymnastics world waited with bated breath to watch the Olympian dance.

Stephen Nedoroscik continues to impress on DWTS week 3

Can you believe that before his stint on the 33rd season of Dancing With the Stars, Stephen Nedoroscik had never danced? The Olympian—and his fans—weren’t exactly banking on him dominating the dance floor. Luckily for Stephen, he got paired with Rylee Arnold, who’s DWTS royalty. She’d already crushed it on the junior version and had plenty of experience from the previous season, making her the perfect guide for Stephen’s transformation from pommel horse king to dancing sensation.

In their first performance, Stephen Nedoroscik danced to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and the judges were here for it! The duo ranked third after their debut, which set the tone for more epic performances to come. But Stephen wasn’t about to settle. For his next act, he embraced his inner Superman, doing a Paso Doble that had the crowd going wild. But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

Stephen Nedoroscik had to wear high heels for the first time, which—let’s just say—did not go down without some hilarious calf-crushing struggles. He even tripped a few times during rehearsals, but like the champ he is, Stephen powered through. Despite the nerves and some hiccups, everything went smoothly on stage, earning them a solid 22/30, keeping them in the running for that Mirrorball Trophy.

Fast forward to Monday, October 7, and it was Soul Train night! Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee brought the house down with a quickstep-inspired routine to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Despite Rylee’s ankle sprain, the pair scored a perfect 30! Derek raved about the energy but gave Stephen some frame pointers, while Bruno and Carrie Ann urged him to work on his timing. Still, their performance showed that no challenge can stop Stephen Nedoroscik—whether it’s navigating the Olympics with his vision issues or dancing his way to the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy!