Simone Biles became the oldest US gymnast in 72 years to qualify for the Olympics. On the flip side, Hezly Rivera became one of the youngest to ever do it. Imagine. A 16-year-old outperforming veterans, culminating her underdog journey with a ticket to Paris. And who doesn’t love a good underdog story? The thing is, the entire nation may have believed Rivera was the underdog, pleasantly surprised to watch her brilliant showing. But her former coach didn’t think that for a second.

Hezly Rivera’s gymnastics journey started at ENA Gymnastics when she was 5. Despite her age, Rivera immediately took a liking for the sport and started clocking in 30 hours per week under head coach Craig Zappa. Within three years, she had mesmerized the ENA co-owner with her willingness to learn, surprising mental resilience, and natural talent.

“A lot of girls get into gymnastics because they want to be an Olympian. That’s a big draw for them,” Zappa said, as reported by northjersey.com. There’s no doubt that Hezly Rivera dreamed of representing her country at the Olympics, too. While everyone starts with that mindset, only a few get the opportunity to make it happen. And to do it just a decade after starting your gymnastics journey is a remarkable achievement in itself. However, from what Zappa added, it seems like he knew Rivera would be one of those select few.

“But probably around 8, you started to see that this kid had something special that she could actually someday get there if all cards lined up. She not only had the talent, but the mental fortitude and drive to be able to attain it.” The 16-year-old displayed these attributes at Target Center in Minneapolis during the Trials. Rivera became eligible for senior-level competition just this year, and no one expected her to be a frontrunner for a spot on Team USA’s Olympics roster. However, making her debut at the Winter Cup and securing third in the all-around, she kept up the confidence coming into the Trials.

With Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Jade Carey sealing their spots, Rivera was up against the likes of Kayla DiCello and Skye Blakely for the final spot, both of whom outscored her at the Winter Cup. However, even when both suffered Achilles injuries, Rivera didn’t let up and lose sight of her goal. Turns out, this self-belief has always been there. “This kid was really level-headed. She was fearless, she was strong, she was quick,” Zappa mentioned, adding, “She just had a knack for it. She was really coachable and eager to learn and be the best she could be.”

The 16-year-old Olympian trained with Zappa throughout her early years before moving to Texas to train with legends Valeri and Anna Liukin. She immediately impressed the veteran coaching duo and the parents of five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin. Rivera continued to showcase qualities that stood out to Zappa under the guidance of the Liukins. So when she earned her spot as the youngest member of the 2024 Olympics Women’s Gymnastics team, it was years of hard work and faith paying off.

Remember how Zappa mentioned the prodigy was and is level-headed? Here’s a question for you. Which gymnast can make their Olympic Trials debut just a few months after becoming eligible to compete in the senior category and, right off the bat, secure the highest balance beam score during the meet? And the balance beam is as tough an apparatus as can get, one that even Simone Biles has “a love-hate relationship” with. Well, the answer is Hezly Rivera because that’s what she did.

With a remarkable 111.150 all-around score and the joint-best balance beam score, Rivera finished 5th in the trials. In an interview with NBC on Monday, she said, “It feels so surreal. I cannot believe that I’m here right now. It’s just all my hard work has been paying off. I’m so excited to represent Team USA at the Olympics.” It’s safe to say she isn’t the only one excited because it looks like her hometown has already started preparing to witness the 16-year-old’s ascension into the spotlight in Paris.

Hezly Rivera became a hometown hero

Making her senior gymnastics debut at the Winter Cup, Hezly Rivera became the first Olympian from Oradell, Bergen County. After securing her ticket to Paris, the 16-year-old became an overnight icon, doubling her social media following. However, her biggest impact was in her hometown. James G. Koth III, the Mayor of Oradell, revealed that they have already been in contact with Rivera’s parents.

“We’ve thrown some ideas around about hosting a watch party, having a message or sign in town, to be able to cheer her on while she’s off to the Olympics,” the Mayor revealed. And Rivera didn’t just impress her hometown. The Team USA member even managed to astonish seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles. During the post-Gymnastics Trials press conference, Simone Biles expressed her surprise at how Rivera made it to the Olympics even before learning to drive properly.

Hezly Rivera’s remarkable ascent from small-town gymnastics prodigy to Olympian has inspired the entire nation. For former coach Craig Zappa, it’s the realization of a vision he had nearly a decade ago.