“I never imagined this would happen,” she said just a year ago, fresh off earning a spot on the Paris Olympics squad as a high school junior. At just 16, Hezly Rivera turned her dream into reality, becoming Team USA’s youngest representative in Paris and an Olympic champion. She was nothing short of an inspiration. And a few months ago, her rise reached new heights when GK Elite signed her as a premium athlete, making her the youngest to sign such a contract, even beating the likes of Simone Biles. Now, at the Xfinity Championships, she’s opened up about the partnership and what it means to her journey.

While speaking with Inside Gym, the star was asked how she feels about becoming one of the biggest names in the sport and what it’s like training in the gym around little girls. The 17-year-old responded, “It’s really cool to see. I love training with the little girls, seeing them just come up to me and say hi, and it’s so cute and adorable. Now that I have come up with my leo collection with GK, I have seen so many little girls wearing my leos, asking to take pictures, and tagging me on Instagram.”

She further added, “It’s just really cool to see that I’m an inspiration to them and that they look up to me a lot, so I’m very excited about that. Yeah, I have always loved GK. I have worn GK ever since I was like 6 years old, so it’s definitely been a journey in my life, and I’m so grateful that we have collabed and had this amazing leo collection. For my leos, I’m going to be wearing my coral and my royal blue leo, so stay tuned for that.”

Exactly one year after the Paris Olympics, GK Elite — Team USA Gymnastics’ official apparel partner- announced Rivera as their newest signature athlete, joining the likes of Simone Biles, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles. And guess what? She was the youngest to achieve this honor in the sport.

Her journey began back in 2023, when Rivera was just starting to make her mark as a U.S. junior champion.

2023 treated her well, but 2024 changed everything.

A fifth-place all-around finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials catapulted her onto the biggest stage in Paris, where she stood on the podium alongside icons like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles.

Well, this year, she suffered a setback at the U.S Classic. But she is certain that she will perform better at the Xfinity showdown.

Hezly Rivera is certain about her Xfinity U.S. Championships success

The 2025 U.S. Classics turned out to be a nightmare for Hezly Rivera, with trouble striking one after another. It began on the uneven bars, where her Tkachev releases were unusually low—just skimming over the bar—and her dismount was mistimed and misaligned. The routine ended in disaster as she landed face-first on the mat, earning a disappointing 11.950. That wasn’t all; a second fall pushed her score down to 12.300.

Despite that setback, Rivera is confident about her Xfinity U.S. Championship performance. During the same conversation with the Inside Gym, she stated, “Feeling great going into this week. Training has been going great, and I have been just trying to trust myself. Um, it’s been going really well. We had a training yesterday, and it was good, so I’m just excited for the podium and to see where this is going.”

When asked about her new routine, she expressed that she loves it. “I really love my floor routine, and I think it’s very bubbly and happy and kind of just me, because I’m a very happy person. I feel like a lot of people don’t see that, because I’m kind of serious all the time, but I’m laughing all the time, having a good time, and I think it goes well with my floor routine. I really am loving the choreography, and I think it fits me really well.” 

Being one of the youngest stars in the sport, she has room for mistakes and certainly knows how to amend her flaws. With the World Championships and the 2028 Olympics coming up, we might witness the best of Rivera in the coming years.