Overcome the “twisties”? Check. Make a comeback for the ages? Check. Punch your ticket to the Paris Olympics? Check. Inspire a five-year-old along the way? Check. This is just the tip of the iceberg of everything Simone Biles has achieved ever since that night in Tokyo. And Nova Leanna Davidson, who’s literally looked up to Biles her whole life, just made the gymnastics community aww with her tribute to Team USA.

Nova Davidson is following Simone Biles’ footsteps

Nova Davidson, who was just two years old when the last Olympic Games happened, is a Level 3 gymnast and the biggest (albeit one of the tiniest) fan of Simone Biles, so much so that every gymnast Nova sees is Simone. It’s not surprising that, just like her idol, she’s found love in the sport. So, it was only natural that she would head to Target Center with her mother, Tiffany, to watch the US Gymnastics Trials. And needless to say, she was over the moon about the results.

As Simone Biles clinched the No.1 spot in the all-around competition, ending her remarkable showing over two days with a powerful floor exercise routine, Nova Davidson was right there, cheering for her idol. But it wasn’t just Biles who she was watching. Every gymnast who competed – be it veterans like Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee or youngsters like Hezly Rivera and Joscelyn Roberson – made the five-year-old feel proud about potentially following in their footsteps. So, after the trials, Davidson went home and, “inspired by Team USA,” performed her own laser balance beam routine!

The youngster has been honing her skills for the past year at the local gym. And it was evident when Inside Gymnastics Magazine shared a heartwarming video of the tiny tot showcasing her moves. Warning: It’s the most adorable thing you’ll see today! As Inside Gymnastics posted snippets of the routine on Instagram, they used the same song Simone Biles started her floor exercise routine with: Taylor Swift’s…Ready For It? And Nova Davidson executed an impressive array of somersaults and handstands to near perfection.

The caption read, “Potential future Olympian right here! Love seeing everyone inspired by Team USA!” Speaking of inspiration, Jordan Chiles met with up-and-coming gymnasts on June 30 in Minneapolis for a fun Q&A session, and Nova couldn’t help but ask a very important question. The tiny tot (and budding journalist, by the looks of it) curiously asked, “How many leotards do you have?” When Chiles praised her for the “great question” and revealed she had more than 100, the 5-year-old seemed very pleased with that answer.

Nova even met the GOAT last year at the Simone Biles Invitational. The young gymnast was excited before the meetup but also incredibly nervous. Per her mother, “I pep-talked her before she went in, but she was still so nervous and definitely starstruck, lol. She forgot her age.” As Nova timidly made her way to meet her idol, Biles put her at ease by greeting her with excitement. And when Biles realized her young fan was the one who asked, “Does Simone Biles fart?” the seven-time Olympic medalist got even more excited!

It looks like everyone’s eager to see what the future holds for Nova. That said, her father, TJ Davidson, an entrepreneur, found the sweetest way to support his daughter’s dreams! In 2022, he authored a book called The Little Gymnast: The Story of a Dedicated Gymnast. The book follows a little girl named Nova who loves tumbling on the gymnastics mat. After several challenges and setbacks, she becomes a competition champion. That was quite reminiscent of her first competitive event back in January. And now, six months later, as she showcased her skills yet again, the gymnastics community couldn’t hold back its praise.

The gymnastics community believes Nova is a “superstar in the making”

After being enthralled by the Paris-bound team at the US Gymnastics Trials, the young gymnast treated fans to another stellar performance. Many headed over to Inside Gymnastics’ post to voice their affirmations for the five-year-old. One fan stated, “Future Olympian in the making, she’s amazing!!” Nova might have just started, but her impressive control has many going ga ga!

Another fan expressed, “Wow! She’s amazing at such a young age!!!” Remember the January competition we mentioned? Well, Davidson placed 37th overall. But she secured the top spot in her session with first place on the balance beam, bars, and the floor (and third place on the vault). Just watching her composure, control, and ability to grasp the small nuances made people realize she was a prodigy, potentially another Olympian in the making. Having shown the same poise in her newest routine, another fan wrote,  “Amazing future. Olympics 2032.”

Who knows? We might just end up seeing the young gymnast make her debut at the Olympic Trials sometime in the next 12 years! A fan excitedly confessed, “Just think, she’s this good at 5. She’s going to be incredible!” Nova is calm and collected and knows she’s good! Many are excited to see how she fares as she gets older. Another fan hyped her up: “We love @missnovagirl. She’s a superstar in the making… shout out to her parents for being such an inspiration and sharing her journey.”

Nova’s parents have been incredibly supportive throughout her journey. TJ’s book and Tiffany’s frequent social media updates are proof of that. In fact, Nova’s mother even makes an appearance in the video momentarily! 

In 20 days, fans will witness Simone Biles compete at her third Olympics. And we can’t help but wonder how loud Nova Davidson’s cheers for her idol will be. Shaking off the dreaded “twisties” from 2016, Biles will be looking to add a few more gold medals to her ever-growing collection. Are you looking forward to Nova cheering Team USA on? Let us know in the comments!