At just 16, Hezly Rivera is the youngest member of the United States team to appear at the Paris Olympics. She is a rising star with a fascinating backstory. Her arrival on the world’s biggest stage is the result of years of dedication, sacrifice, and an unexpected path to gymnastics. That path began when she casually did a few cartwheels at a friend’s fifth birthday party. Then, a perceptive coaching team spotted her and encouraged her parents to consider gymnastics. Hezly made the US team at her first audition, which the coaching team called “very unusual.” She soon “completely fell in love” with the sport, embarking on a journey that would eventually lead her to the top.
Her commitment quickly grew. At age eight, Hezly’s parents made the important decision to homeschool her to give her the flexibility to handle the intense training. Her father, Henry Rivera, is a computer engineer, and her mother threw herself into the path because they realized “gymnastics was going to be their life and they were not going to look back.” Hezly’s sister, Carhelis Abreu, was also instrumental in her early involvement. After witnessing Hezley perform dangerous stunts at home, she urged her mother to let her take safety training.
Family support reached new heights when the Hezleys moved from their home in Paramus, New Jersey, to Plano, Texas, about three years ago. The move was made so that Hezley could train with the renowned Valeri Liukin, father of five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin and coach of three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas. This training environment, along with homeschooling through Connection Academy online learning, allowed Hezley to balance rigorous training with academics.
Hezley’s motivation comes from a powerful inspiration. Her father once gave her a copy of Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality: My Game, which deeply touched the young gymnast. She took the book’s message to heart and believed that the path to success is to “always work harder than the next person.” Her mentality has almost been described as a “mamba mentality,” coupled with a pragmatic realization that as a Latina woman, things aren’t going to be handed to her easily; she has to earn them.
After becoming eligible for senior-level competitions at 15, Hezly began making her mark. She placed third in the all-around at the 2024 Winter Cup and secured sixth place in the individual all-around at the National Championships. These performances paved the way for her shot at the Olympic trials, where she would face experienced athletes, some already decorated with medals from previous Games in Rio and Tokyo.
Approaching the trials, Hezly embraced the role of an “underdog,” having never competed at the Olympics before. Her mindset remained remarkably grounded despite the high stakes. Even when three top contenders withdrew due to injuries, opening up the field, she was “unmoved by the changes.” She famously stated, “I just went out there and gave it my ‘normal,’ because that is good enough.” This self-belief carried her through the intense competition.
The culmination of this phase came on July 1, 2024. An X user shared a video capturing Hezly’s father, Henry, visibly emotional and crying in the stands while recording his daughter on his phone. This heartfelt moment coincided with the official announcement: Hezly Rivera was chosen to represent the US Women’s Gymnastics Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The unexpected selection was a profoundly moving experience for Hezly.
Speaking about the realization of her dream, Hezly expressed the depth of its meaning. This is everything that my inner child ever wanted,” she shared, describing the feeling of being able to represent the US team at the Olympics as “amazing.” She admitted she was “shocked” when her name was called, an experience that felt utterly “surreal.” It was a moment that validated years of relentless hard work and countless sacrifices made not just by her, but by her entire family.
Beyond personal achievement, Hezly carried the weight of representation with grace and pride. As a Latina with a Dominican background—her parents hail from the Dominican Republic—she felt it was a profound honor to represent both Latinas and the Dominican Republic on the global stage. She sees herself representing both nations, proudly stating she’s “very proud to be Latina and American.” Her aspirations extend beyond her own success; she wants to “help the community grow” and hopes other Latinas will look up to her and be inspired “because she’s Latina.”
Faith also plays a central role in Hezly’s approach to gymnastics and life. She identifies as Christian and leans on her faith to stay focused amidst the pressures of competition. She shared that she likes praying with her family before leaving for competitions and on other occasions, finding that it helps her calm down and enter a good headspace. Listening to Christian music, particularly her favorite artist Katy Nichole, also serves to uplift, cheer up, and calm her down.
Upon arriving in Paris, Hezly maintained her grounded perspective. Becoming an Olympian, even as the youngest on the entire American team, didn’t inflate her ego. She remained calm, continued her daily training, and consistently gave “it 100 percent.” Her simple philosophy for the Olympics was clear: if she could step onto the floor and perform the same routines she executed in the gym, she would know she had done her best.
Her Olympic debut came on July 28, 2024, during the women’s gymnastics qualifier. It proved to be a shaky start. Competing on the balance beam and uneven bars, Hezly posted scores of 12.633 and 13.900, respectively. These scores placed her 26th on the beam and 13th on the bars, and significantly, were the lowest scores recorded by any member of the US team during the qualifier. As a result, she did not qualify for any individual event finals.
While her scores weren’t high enough for individual contention, her performance on the uneven bars was crucial in helping the team achieve a top overall score (172.296), leading Italy (166.86) and China (166.628) heading into the team final. However, based on the qualifier results, a difficult decision was made regarding the team final lineup.
Hezly was “surprisingly absent” from the Women’s Gymnastics final held on July 30, 2024. Instead of competing, she sat on the sidelines, watching her teammates—Suni Lee, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey—vie for gold. The reasoning for this decision, as presented in the context, was that her performance in the qualifying round “just wasn’t strong enough to make the cut,” having received the lowest score in the qualifier. The team ultimately decided to compete without her in the final lineup.
The decision sparked varied reactions among fans. Some voiced frustration and disappointment. One person on X questioned the strategy, writing, “What was the point? Might as well have just brought four people and called it a day.” A Facebook post from “Today” mentioning Hezly would only participate if a teammate was injured also drew reactions, with a fan asserting her worth: “She earned her spot and will always be an Olympian! We all know she can do it!” Another response on Facebook to a post about her being “booted out” suggested she deserved a chance, stating, “Hope she continues. They should have let her do at least one event in the finals given how well they dominated.”
Conversely, other fans expressed understanding and support for the long-term view. One fan commented on X, “They are investing into their future by having her help her team qualify.” This perspective highlighted the value of her role in getting the team to the final and the experience she gained that would “help her in four years.” An X user championed the entire roster, writing, “let’s not forget jordan chiles, hezly rivera, and jade chiles also. the WHOLE team deserves so much love. remember their names. we are proud of you 5!!”
Team USA’s technical lead, Chellsie Memmel, addressed the challenging decision publicly. Memmel acknowledged that leaving Hezly off the final roster was an “incredibly difficult” choice. However, she emphasized Hezly’s integral role in the team’s journey and success, making it clear that the gold medal belonged to her just as much as the athletes who competed in the final. Memmel conveyed the pride the team had in Hezly, stating, “I’m so proud of her and everything that she’s done,” and reiterated the message she shared with Hezly: “I said she was just as important a part of this team as everyone else, and it’s gonna sting.”
Despite the personal disappointment of not competing, Hezly shared in the ultimate triumph. The team final saw the remaining four gymnasts perform magnificently, securing yet another Olympic gold medal for Team USA. Although she watched from the sidelines, Hezly Rivera was part of the five-member team that achieved this historic victory, and she proudly received her own gold medal.
Her journey is a testament to resilience and vision. Although she didn’t make the finals, she and her teammates won the gold medal, which made her realize the meaning of collective victory and the value of each team member’s contribution, no matter what role they played on a given day. More than an Olympian, Hezly Rivera is a gold medalist who has inspired a community and proved that sometimes the most profound victories are shared.
