Imagine juggling a double life for three years—cramming in college courses, hopping on flights for training, and then bam—a foot injury hits. But that didn’t stop Evita Griskenas from showing up as Team USA’s lone rhythmic gymnast at the Paris Olympics! She gave it her all on August 8 at Porte de La Chapelle Arena, spinning through her routines with ball, hoop, clubs, and ribbon.

She finished 18th with an all-round score of 118.500, just shy of the top 10 finals. Yet, this wasn’t a defeat for her. USA Gymnastics nailed it with their post: “Top 20 in the world!” Evita’s proud of her journey, but in an exclusive chat with EssentiallySports, she opened up about the tears that followed her competition!

Evita Griskenas, a 23-year-old rhythmic gymnast from Orland Park, has been living the ultimate juggling act for the past three years, flying between Chicago and New York every week. She was training like a beast in Chicago while earning her psychology degree from Columbia University in New York. Talk about multi-tasking! Managing this double life took some serious planning skills, especially after she broke her foot in May 2023.

Even while scooting around campus with an open-toed boot, she was squeezing in Pilates, HIIT, swimming, and even “ballet in a pool” to stay in shape. With all this, she only nailed down her Olympic routines by February 2024, just in time for the Games. But she made sure her routines hit all the right emotional notes, like her ribbon routine set to Charles Aznavour’s “La Boheme,” a nod to France and all its nostalgic feels. At the 2024 Olympics, she didn’t make it to the finals, finishing 18th, but she was proud and emotional. And her biggest support system? Her family, who were right there cheering her on!

Our correspondent in Paris, Shreya Verma, asked Evita about her favorite moment competing for Team USA. She said, “Hugging my family after. I mean, I ran out, and I just hugged them and started crying. My mom was like, ‘don’t cry,’ and I was like, ‘But I love you guys!’ So, so excited to give them that big hug.” Reflecting on this heartwarming moment, did you know that even without a medal, Evita Griskenas still accomplished a major goal for her family?

Despite her 18th-place finish at the Paris Olympics, Evita Griskenas scored a win for her family!

The staunch support of her family and close friends from Columbia University kept 23-year-old Evita Griskenas going, even through the toughest challenges. For her, the real victory wasn’t just performing on the world stage—it was making this moment special for three people who couldn’t be with her at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: her parents and younger brother, who were right there in the crowd this time. She shared with Team USA, “Going into Santiago, that was one of the background thoughts in my head: I want to give my family the Olympic experience that they deserve that they never got to have,” she said.

Evita continued, “The journey to get to this Games has been more tumultuous and challenging than expected, and it’s really developed my character and my faith in a way that is encouraging to me. And also I’m really excited to have an audience this time. Rhythmic is about that energy, and I do mean it. I’m very excited to give my family the experience that they deserve.” Looking ahead, she’s eyeing Ph.D. programs in sports psychology or neuropsychology but isn’t rushing into any decisions just yet.

As for her gymnastics future? She’s hungry for more, with her sights set on making history as the first U.S. rhythmic gymnast to compete in three Olympics at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. So, what do you think about Evita Griskenas’s journey and her incredible achievement of breaking into the top 20 rhythmic gymnasts in the world? Let us know in the comments below!