Hezly Rivera made her Olympic debut in Paris this summer as the youngest member of Team USA across all sports, helping the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team win gold. Life has taken an exciting turn for the 16-year-old, who recently committed to LSU and is also part of the Gold Over America Tour this fall.
Reflecting on her unforgettable experience in Paris, Rivera reveals what she learned from her teammates, the significance of having her family by her side, and her pride in her Dominican-American heritage. She also discusses her decision to commit to LSU and her upcoming goals in the conversation below.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Hezly you’ve had a whirlwind type of year! If I had told you exactly a year ago that your 2024 was going to look the way it did what would you have said?
Hezly Rivera: I would have not believed you, honestly, because I would have never thought this would come true, especially so fast and in 2024 as a 16-year-old. I’m so young and this has been my number one goal ever since I was around seven or eight years old. But now that it came true, I’m so happy and I’m just so grateful for everything and that it unfolded this way!
Let’s go back to Paris, your very first Olympic Games, where you were the youngest member of Team USA. What was your experience like?
Rivera: My experience was truly amazing! It was overall so fun and being with all the veterans just guiding me was the best experience I could ever ask for. It’s indescribable almost because it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of and ever wanted so the fact that it happened that way—it’s just amazing. All my hard work had paid off and I give credit to my family and God for making this happen because we made so many sacrifices along the way.
What was your pinch-me moment in Paris?
Rivera: Obviously, winning an Olympic gold medal. That’s everything I’ve ever wanted! It finally happened. It was honestly so surreal. I was like there’s no way I’m holding an Olympic gold medal in my hand right now. That was insane — pinch me for real! It was crazy, and it didn’t sink in until a few days after actually.
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 30: Simone Biles , Hezly Rivera , Jade Carey , Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee of Team United States celebrate winning the gold medal after the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images)
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Paris, Fr - July 30: Simone Biles, left, Jade Carey Jordan Chiles, left, Hezly Rivera and Sunisa Lee of the United States celebrate after winning gold during the gymnastics team competition in Barcy Arena during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
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Did you have a fan-girl moment? Who was the athlete that you were most excited to meet?
Rivera: Being on the team with Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Jade Carey, I’ve looked up to them ever since, the last Olympics so I was just like, whoa, it’s amazing just training with them and competing with them. But outside of that, I would have to say Coco Goff and Steph Curry because that was just insane!
I love Coco! She’s so sweet and her energy is amazing. And Steph Curry, I mean, he’s Steph Curry, like, come on, that’s just amazing in itself, just even seeing him! So that was really cool. I got to take a picture with him and it was just amazing because I’ve always looked up to these athletes.
Now that you’ve experienced it in person, can you describe the magic of the Olympics?
Rivera: It’s definitely a little bit nerve-wracking. Obviously, you’re competing on an Olympic stage—the biggest stage in the world. But I just took it back to the gym and [told myself], “Okay, this is another training [session], don’t get too overwhelmed.”
There’s so many people in the crowd, big lights, but I just tried to calm myself down. My teammates calmed me down. They were like, “you’ve got this, you have confidence.” So they just guided me in the right way and I’m just so grateful for that. You can definitely get overwhelmed in this situation, but I think that I handled it pretty well. Obviously, the first event [balance beam] was a little shaky, but then I got calmed down, and leveled, and it was way better. I was just trying to soak up the moment and the experience while competing as well. So it was just overall, really, really great and fun too.
What have you learned from your teammates?
Rivera: They always told me to have confidence in and out of the gym. I just spent so much time with them, going to the dining hall, going to grab coffee, and just talking about life. That really took my mind off of the gym, which helped me relax, actually in the gym so I really appreciate that from my teammates.
What have you learned about yourself from this experience?
Rivera: That I’m stronger than I think, especially mentally, because this is very tough to do at such a young age, and I’m just so happy with how I handled myself on such a big stage.
How has life changed for you since the 2024 Paris Games?
Rivera: Life has changed so much since the Olympics! I’ve been doing so many things. I went to the White House, I threw the first pitch [at a Texas Rangers game], I’m on tour like this is all crazy! I’m doing so many interviews and showing people my life now after the Olympics and telling them about my experience so this has been such a great ride. It can be a little bit overwhelming, but I’m just trying to enjoy every single moment of it because this happens once in a lifetime so it’s very exciting!
You are a hero in New Jersey. October 6 is “Hezly Day” in your hometown of Oradell. What is it like to have a day named after you?
Rivera: That’s crazy! I never would have thought that Oradell, or any place in the whole world, would name a day after me so that’s actually insane. I was like there’s no way this is happening right now, but I’m just so happy that I can be an inspiration to the younger generation and also be there for my hometown. I’m so happy that New Jersey is supporting me like that and showing me so much love.
You mentioned going to the White House, being on tour, throwing first pitches, What has been the most exciting thing you’ve experienced since coming back?
Rivera: I would have to say all of it, I could not choose just one because they’re all so exciting in different ways. Going to the White House is crazy and not everybody gets to experience that so that’s really cool. Throwing the first pitch for the Texas Rangers was very, very cool for me because we’re a big sports family so I’m very excited about that. Then being on tour and seeing my teammates from the Olympics again has been super, super fun. Getting to perform and enjoy the crowd has been amazing!
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 4: Paris 2024 gold medalist Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field on September 4, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
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I love that for you. Hezly, I want to go back to a picture you posted on Instagram, it was a drawing from when you were younger and you wrote “I want to go the Olympics with me and my family.” What did it mean to have them with you?
Rivera: It meant the whole world to me because they’re my biggest supporters. They’ve dedicated their life, just like I have, to this sport, and they helped me make these sacrifices as well. So I’m just so incredibly grateful for them. Writing that I was around seven years old, and I knew this was what I wanted to do when I was older, but it didn’t really hit me until last year that I could actually try to make this team. It was so surreal and that little paper actually came true. I’m just so happy.
Both of your parents were born and raised in the Dominican Republic. What’s your favorite thing about being Dominican? What are you most proud of?
Rivera: My favorite thing about being Dominican is the whole culture—the music, the food, the dancing. I didn’t grow up in the Dominican Republic, but I grew up with the dancing, the food, the music, so it just has a special place in my heart. I love being Dominican, and I’m so proud to be Latina.
You were selected as a TIME Latino Leaders Honoree on September 12th, what does it mean for you to represent the Hispanic community?
Rivera: That means everything to me. I mean, that’s such a big deal, and I’m so happy that I can be an inspiration to Latinas and Latinos! It’s just an incredible feeling because I’m so young, so I feel like younger kids and younger Latinas will be able to say “Oh my gosh, I can be just like her. I’m almost her age, and maybe I can accomplish things that she did, or maybe better.”
I just want people to find love and passion for things—it doesn’t have to be in sports, it can be in something else—but as long as they’re doing something that they love, and if they believe in their self, have confidence, work hard, and have fun then you’ll get there. I just want to be that type of inspiration.
Switching gears, I know you took a couple of official college visits this summer but verbally committed to LSU on September 26th. Why LSU? What stood out the most from their program?
Rivera: I chose LSU because it just felt like a family, and seeing how the coaches treat their gymnasts and coach them meant everything to me. It just felt so comfortable there and I felt like it was home. Honestly, everything was great about it. I loved every single minute, but I would say the culture of LSU is what made me choose it.
Well, congratulations! You’ve got some time before you start. You’re a junior in high school. What does life look like for you right now? What does your schedule look like these days and what are your goals?
Rivera: My schedule is pretty complicated right now. I’m in the gym from Monday through Thursday, and then I leave for tour Thursday night, and I do tour Friday, Saturday, and then I come back on Sunday. That’s kind of my off day, the travel day, and then I do it again on Monday.
I do school Monday through Friday, in between practices. I practice Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 11:30 AM and then I do school from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and then go back to practice from 3:00 to 6:00. It’s a pretty complicated schedule but my goals are to [compete at] World Championships in the gap years before the next Olympic. My ultimate long-term goal would be the LA 2028 Olympics.
How do you think LA 2028 will be different for you?
Rivera: I think obviously I’d be more experienced and I’d know what I’m getting into going into it. I think everything will just be about confidence at that point, just trusting my gymnastics, because I’ve already been through it, just like the veterans that I was with.
You mentioned being on tour. How fun has the “Gold Over America” tour been? What’s been your favorite part?
Rivera: The GOAT tour has been so fun! My favorite part is just interacting with the crowd because they’re so loud and they’re so supportive of everything that we do. They’re just so happy to see us so that makes me so happy!
